Until My Dying Breath
by Typhoon73
Summary: Honestly, I don't have a summary for this story. I could go with 'Once upon a time ...' But this story doesn't include magic stuff. So, no draws, wizards, witches or elves. This story takes place in ancient times, but I won't specify the exact time nor the place. It is about Jane and Maura, and I try to stay historically correct as possible. I hope you give it a shot. Rizzles!
1. Chapter 1

**I really don't know what it is with ideas that are stuck to my mind and that I have to get out, even though I still have ongoing stories. However, to those who read this story, I hope you like it and that you tell me what you think about. And thank you for giving it a shot.**

 **T73.**

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It is a cold, rainy and dark day at all. Wafts of mist are slowly sliding through the paths and disappear into dark alleys. The weather fits her mood perfectly fine, it's literally mirroring it.

She's standing in a stable and watches her companion she ever really relayed on. Too many things they already had seen and too many times they had saved each others lives. It's not like she travels all alone through the country though, but she has learned that it's easier to relay on a animal that's your best friend if you treat it the right way than trusting human being who waits for the chance to sell you off to the best bidder. Of course she had a few people she trusts, people who give her a bed to sleep in and warm food, and people who are at her side when she needs them most. She doesn't consider them as friends or acquaintances, she considers them as her family. Especially since she is alone in this world.

She hasn't always been like this, though. She always has been different and she knew it, but it never bothered her. She always liked to help other people and to work hard to support her family, and that's what made her parents proud. It never bothered her to help the man next door or bring the woman that lived up the hill a loaf of bread or a sack of wheat. Not until everything changed. All of a sudden there wean no man next door anymore whom she could help to till his field, or the woman upon the hill to bring bread to.

She clench her jaw and takes a deep breath as those thoughts invade her mind. She runs an hand over the nose of her companion and nods to herself like they could communicate without any words, like they could read each others minds. She can see that her most loyal companion is just as tired as she is and that both of them need some time to rest. She takes care of him since the day he was born. She had to beg her father to keep him and her father gave in as soon as he saw what kind of bond both of them share.

"I know, Amyntas." She whispers and caresses his muzzle. "I know, you are tired of all of this, just like me." She sighs and frowns a little. Her father and brothers had joked about the fact that the horse's fur is as black as her own hair and that his eyes are brown just like hers. Her father always said that they have to be kindred spirits. And somehow she believes that too. A weak smile plays around her lips. "I hope that all of this is over some day and that we can spend our last days somewhere in peace. Does that sound good?"

Amyntas snorts and moves his head up and down like he's agreeing, and paws the ground.

The smile on her lips grows bigger and nods as well. "I thought so too. I thought so too." She turns her head as she hears the door open and the smile dies instantly when she sees a tall, bearded man with a bald head entering the stable with a wooden bowl in his hand.

He rolls his eyes and hands her the bowl. "You know, your secret's space with me." He says with a deep voice and a thick Scandinavian accent. This gave him the nickname Bear.

She eyes the gray content in the bowl skeptically and frowns once again. "What do you mean?"

"That you are able to smile, Jane." He replies and nods at the said bowl. "Oatmeal gruel."

Jane makes a face and shoves the bowl into his chest. "I'm good."

He blinks a couple of times and shrugs. "Better than squirrel stew."

"Take it," she says and starts to walk towards the door after a last pat on Amyntas' neck. She knows that she doesn't have to worry about what Bear's thinking about her relationship with the horse. He is one of her confident that she would die for without thinking twice, that's something she wouldn't do for everyone.

He shoves a spoon full of gruel into his mouth and wipes it with the back of his hand. "The others want to know where we're going next."

Jane is the one who shrugs this time as he follows her. "You and the others can go wherever you want to. It's not like I own you or that you are in my debt."

Bear huffs and stops walking. He's glad that Jane's doing the same and that he doesn't have to force her to. "Jane, it's not like we feel we are forced to follow you. We do it because we want to."

She smiles a little and pats his shoulder again. She knows that he is right, that she doesn't need to convince anyone who is at her side right now. She knows Bear for years and he never questioned a single decision she ever made, just like those who are supporting her. She's quite aware that such trust isn't common, especially because she is a woman. It has surprised her that she has so much backup and that she can relay on those men who are riding with her for years. Experience has shown her that there are also people who only wait for a chance to go behind her back. Those experiences hut her but also made her stronger and wiser.

It's not like she's on a revenge campaign, she just doesn't want to submissively obey to anyone after all she went through and she met her **fellows** coincidentally on her way. She doesn't care from where they're coming or what their motives are to live such a kind of life, all that matters to her that they have her back and so does she. She was really surprised that the men are listening to what she has to say, but by now she's sure that it is because they had the chance to witness of what she's capable and because of Bear who's always standing at her side no matter what. She has to correct herself. Amyntas and Bear are her most loyal friends she has in life. They accidentally ran into each other as she was riding forestry track and as he was fleeing from some drunk roughnecks. She's sure that he committed some dine-n-dash, but that didn't matter to her in that moment, all that mattered to her was that she didn't find five against one exactly fair. That's why she stopped Amyntas and tried to conciliate. She also offered to pay Bear's debt, but all the five men wanted to do was to beat the shit out of the Scandinavian and that was something she couldn't let happen. Since that day Bear never left Jane's side and protected her every time he thought he had to. And he didn't question her just once. In the beginning Bear said that he owe her loyalty and that he'll do whatever she'll ask of him, but Jane told him that he's a free man and that they can part ways whenever he want to. That day never came. And from that moment on six men also aligned themselves with Bear and her. Their names are Aegeus, Alastair, Tadeo, Baako, Caden and Macario. She trusts them all, but not as much as Bear. If she's honest, she has absolute no idea what Bear's real name is. In the beginning they barely understood each others language and mostly communicated with hand signals, but either of them understood pretty quick that neither of them causes danger for each other. And as they started to communicate verbally, Bear told her about his home and some rituals of his culture and so did she. He became the brother that Jane has no longer and she thinks that she's a kind of sister to him.

Jane places an hand on his shoulder and pats it once again. "I know, my friend. And I know that you have my back."

"Like you have mine," he mumbles as he shoves another spoon with gruel into his mouth and gives her a light push.

She stumbles forward and frowns at him. Both of them know that only he's allowed to do so without causing any trouble. She tries to push him back but he's too tall, too heavy and to strong to lose any of his balance.

Bear laughs out loud that sounds more like barking in the empty streets and wraps an arm around the smaller woman's shoulders, pulling him closer. "You are funny, Jane."

Jane rolls her eyes but let him do so. She knows that neither of them ever thought about to cross the line of their friendship. In the past her mother always said that she felt like having three sons instead of only two. Jane had explained to her friend that she was different then other women and Bear always respected that and didn't judge her for it. He always says that there are things in the world which are much worse than this. And as soon as a man came too close to Jane, Bear was standing behind her and wanted to know if there's a problem. As soon as men caught a glimpse of the Scandinavian, they disappeared.

Jane wraps an arm around his middle and smiles as she leads the way to an illuminated tavern. "Let's see if one of the guys caused any trouble."

Bear grunts and his face darkens. "I would like to stay here for a few more days." He growls and she looks up at him. "All of us could need some rest."

She nods slowly and agrees silently. They really need a roof over their heads and warm food in their stomachs, and a pause from everything out there. People say that they're living a vagabond life and that they don't do anything to earn some money, but quite on the contrary. They are doing a lots of things rich people think they're too good for. Like if a provisional governor wants that a carriage is escorted to point A to point B, they do it and get paid for that. In a nutshell, they do their dirty jobs. What neither of them would ever do is to go out to a village and enforce payment for provincial governors, even though some of those thought they could misuse Jane's group for that. That meant that she and Bear turned the governors down and added new names on their list with whom their not well-disposed anymore. "I know. Even Amyntas would agree with you."

Bear opens his mouth to say that an animal can't agree, but he knows better and smiles. He has witnessed how horse and rider had interact with each other and is sure that Jane's black horse isn't like any other horse at all. He tugs at her hair that she holds together with a braid and doesn't flinch as she scowls at him. "You have the same hair."

"He has a mane," she scoffs and pushes the wooden door to the tavern open.

He smirks and shrugs. "So? His **mane** is wavy." He chuckles as she rolls her eyes at him. "Yours is curly."

Jane has to bite back the smile and glares at the man. She starts to regret that has seen her wearing her hair open once or twice. She turns her head as soon as someone calls out her name and stands up from the bench.

"Jane," a blond man also with beard calls out and holds up an jug up. "come sit with us."

Jane eyes Bear long and walks to the table. "What are you drinking, Caden?"

The young man whistles through his teeth and orders the same for her as soon as the innkeeper turns her attention to her. "So, what are we doing next," he asks and each of the man turn their attention to the only woman.

Jane licks her lips and shrugs. She looks up at the woman who places a jug in front of her and waits until the innkeeper is gone again. "Tomorrow, Bear and I have a audience with the governor of this town. I have no idea what he wants us to do."

"I hope that you'll make clear that we're not going to rob poor peasants." Tadeo, a black-haired man, says hushed and looks at the innkeeper.

"We don't need the money that much." The red-haired Alastair states and leans forward and Baako, Aegeus, Caden, Macario and Bear nods approvingly.

"Did we ever do that," Jane asks and the men shook their heads. She sighs and frowns. "As far as I know he wants us to bring his daughter here. She lives sixteen miles from here."

"Sixteen miles," Macario groans. "Really?"

"Do you want to eat," Bear growls and Macario falls silent.

Jane knows how to humor her men and looks at each of them. "Drink, eat and rest. It's on me."

"What about you." Bear asks as she gets up to her feet and knows the answer already.

She sighs and a hint of smile plays on her lips. "I go and check on Amyntas before I go to bed."

"She really loves the nag." Baako says with a grin as he lifts his jug to his lips, but then he stops as he sees Bear's serious face.

"Watch your mouth," the taller man growls and clenches his jaw.

Meanwhile, Jane comes back to the stable and walks straight to Amyntas' box, getting into it. She starts to caress his flank and smiles as peace is running through her. "I know that we all need to rest, Amyntas. But we are not the ones to stay too long at one place, are we?" She waits for a response and sighs. "One last time and then we're going to take a long break." She smiles as his head bobs up and down and kisses his muzzle. "Yes, we deserve it, Amyntas. Maybe after that we go home."

The horse turns his head like he wants her to ask what home means.

Jane closes her eyes and places her head on his neck. "Home's where you are, my old friend." She blinks back her tears as he stands still and pats his neck. She wants to tell him how much he means to her but won't risk that someone catches her doing so. She slides down at the wall and sighs, closing her eyes. "I just stay for a moment and rest my eyes, if you don't mind."

Amyntas turns and drops slowly to his knees, relaxing his body.

She smiles and runs her hand over his nose, knowing that this is a sign of unalterable trust. So much has the horse and the owner in common, so much sorrow. Jane sighs and tries to fight the heaviness of her eyelids, in vain.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for giving this a shot. I'm really surprised about it.**

 **Yes, in this chapter Maura's gonna be introduced, maybe not as you like but I somehow like it, but it's just the beginning.**

 **And thank you for your reviews. And yes, it's a short chapter.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **T73.**

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Bear isn't easy to worry and he knows exactly where to find Jane the next morning. He walks into the stable and has to smile as he stops at Amyntas' box and see the owner and the horse lying close to each other, fast asleep. He's the only one who knows the entire story of the woman he calls her sister and sometimes he thinks that the horse holds the souls of Jane's family that she lost in the age of twelve. He also knows that watching beloved ones being slaughtered by savages changes a girl in such a age. He's quite surprised that the dark-haired woman made it for ten years almost all alone. He knows that he's living the life he was supposed to, and he thinks that Jane's parents didn't want her to have such a life like she has now. Bear smiles as the a memory crosses his mind. Jane was glaring at a poor tailor who was showing her a sort of linen dress. She glared at him and said: **Really? Do I look like a doll? Give me a damn black leather pants and a white linen shirt.**

The poor man had looked puzzled at her and stammered his replied, **But men are supposed to wear that.**

Back then her eyes went huge. **So? Now you know what I want. Get it done and I'll pay you handsomely for it. I come back in three days.**

The tailor was about to protest but the stern look made him to think better of it. Three days later, the woman got what she wanted, like she always did.

It never bothered him that Jane was different in all ways. One night, Jane had too much beer and told him that she likes women more than man. He had just shrugged and told her that he has seen much worse things in the world than two women being with each other. That night settled their unconditional friendship.

Bear smiles at the memories and shakes his head, eyeing the sleeping couple. He never has seen a horse trusting a human being enough to lay down with them and placing its head in the human's lap, but that's exactly what Amyntas has done and Bear believes that **that** horse can see the true nature of a human's soul. Most people only sees a livestock in horses, Jane sees something beyond that. He thinks that she's somehow like them, able to see the true intentions of a human, that's why he trusts her. He was skeptical as they crossed ways for the first time, but with years it disappeared and he knows that each of them would give their lives for each other.

"It's time to wake up, Jane." He says with a normal voice and smiles as Amyntas lifts his head. "You are really unique, aren't you?" His words are directed at Amyntas.

"Yes, I am." Jane says sleepily with a smile before she cracks her eyes open. Amyntas gets up immediately and shakes his entire body.

He chuckles buts stays. "I did not mean you, but I know."

She starts to smirk and stretch her arms over her head. "Go away.

Bear laughs throaty and walks to her, helping Jane up to her feet. "We have to be at the town hall, Jane."

She rubs the sleep from her eyes and sighs. "It doesn't hurt them if they have to wait. They have nothing else to do."

Bear grabs her at the elbow and starts to drag her out of the stable. "But it hurts us. We want to get this done."

Jane makes a face and blinks against the blinding sun. "Okay, okay. My … Give me a second to wake up."

"No," he replies with a smile that grows bigger as soon as he hears a loud groan.

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Three days later Jane, and her men are standing in front of a quiet imposing mansion and rolls her eyes as Bear ruffles the fur of a dog. "Stop playing with the mutt."

Caden scoffs and drops his chin to his chest. Neither of them aren't really sure when the dog started to follow them but it seems like Bear and the dog connected instantly.

Bear ignores all of them. "I don't play with Eirik." He mumbles and growls back at the dog that somewhat looks like a wolf. "I train his hunting instincts. You always play with Amyntas."

"I don't play with him either." She shoots back.

"You always run around with him on a field if you get the chance."

"I train his … flight instincts."

Bear straightens up and smiles broadly at her. "You're playing."

Jane furls her eyebrows tightly and gives him a push. "Shut up."

Eirik barks and Amyntas paws the ground like he's agreeing.

The others laugh amused but it dies down as soon as they hear a female voice yelling that someone has to let go of her. All of them walks around the imposing carriage and sees a young woman with a disgruntled face that is literally dragged towards them by a man they would a **Gentleman at Arms** , somehow.

Jane steps forward with a dead serious face and eyes each of them. "What's going on?"

The man ignores her and drags the blond woman pass her.

Jane grabs firmly his arm and forces him to look directly at her. "I asked what is going on."

The man eyes her from head to toe and doesn't hide his abomination. "I don't talk to someone like you. I don't know who you think you are."

She forces his hand away from the young woman and can feel that her friends stepping up behind her, or more precisely she can say so because his eyes are going pass her head. "I am the one who makes sure that she arrives at her father's in one piece. I ask you one last time. What is going on?"

He sighs and nods in the blonde's direction. "She refuses to leave."

Jane nods slowly and crosses her arms over her chest. "Maybe she wouldn't refusing if you don't drag her out of the house."

"I don't want to come with you." The blonde snaps.

Jane turns to her and smiles feigned at her. "Well, good thing you don't have a say in it." She turns back at the armored man. "And you can leave, we'll take it from here."

The man bows his head and disappears in no time.

Jane takes a deep breath and nods at Arabian man. "This is Baako."

Baako smiles and nods.

"That's Caden."

Caden doesn't move but glares at the blonde.

"Aegeus."

Aegeus bows a little and smiles.

Aegeus caresses the neck of his brown horse and nods once.

"Alastair."

The man snorts and clenches his jaw tightly.

"Macario."

Macario bows his head and smiles friendly.

Jane now eyes the roof of the carriage that's loaded with luggage, patting her friend's back. "And that's Bear. You have to be Maura."

The woman steps up to the brunette indignantly. "I am. And what is your name?"

Jane scratches the back of her neck with out looking at the blonde, tilting her head to the side. "My name? Jane. That luggage's yours?"

Maura follows the brunette's gaze and lifts her chin up. "It is."

Jane still scratches the beg of her neck and looks with an amused smile at Alastair. "Alastair."

"Do it with pleasure," he says and climbs up on the roof in no time. He starts to unload most of the luggage again with no care and the others chuckle.

"How dare you?" Maura asks scandalized and steps up to Jane. "This is my private property."

Jane turns to the woman and almost forgets why she is here as she looks into hazel eyes, but she recovers fast, knocking on the carriage. "And I'm sure that's more than fungible. That carriage is slowing us down already." She opens the door and smiles a little. "Please, would you? So we can leave by now."

"I'm not going to leave." Maura huffs and turns her back at Jane.

The brunette groans and looks at her confident. "Bear!"

"I am -" Maura starts and squeals as soon as she's lifted of the ground and carried towards the said carriage and forces her into it, slamming the door shut while Maura's cursing.

Jane gets with on Amyntas' back and laughs heartily, almost devilish before s gives the group the sign to depart with Maura yelling on top of her lungs.


	3. Chapter 3

Jane looks at the men after a needed break and sends Tadeo out for a hunt. She walks to the carriage and opens the door. "You want to come out," she asks and quirks an eyebrow. She's about to close the door again and shakes her head as she gets no response. She already has met such women who think that they're better than anyone else. She changes her mind and sticks her head back in the cab. "You're not the only one who doesn't want to be here, Maura. It's your only chance to eat and drink. Your father wants us to get you home, he never mentioned under what kind of condition. I don't care if you die of thirst."

Maura huffs and looks at the dark-haired woman before she gets in motion. She glares at Jane and extends her hand.

Jane splutter and frowns. "What?"

"There's stepladder," the blonde huffs. "How am I supposed to get out of this … **thing**?"

Jane thinks for a second and grabs Maura at her waist, lifting her out of the carriage with ease.

Maura gasps surprised and keeps her hands on the brunette's shoulders as she slides down against Jane's body.

It's the first time that the brunette really smiles. "See? No big deal." She states but doesn't move an inch.

The blonde nods slowly and starts to move as Jane points in the direction of something that looks like a encampment. A smile plays on her lips and she starts to move with a nod. She's a little taken aback of the change of the brunette's behavior, but decides not to complain about it now.

Jane leads them a little apart from the encampment so the others won't overhear anything that isn't supposed to hear by them. She takes place on a fallen tree and wiggles her brows. "I would suggest that you sit down on my lap so your fancy dress won't get dirty, but …" she smirks and hunch her shoulders. "I know you for only a couple of hours."

Maura huffs and sits down on the stem without looking at the other woman.

Jane sighs heavily and props her elbows up on her knees. "I want to apologize for my behavior earlier this day, but we're hard-pressed for time, somehow. And that guy at your mansion really annoyed me."

"That's why this big man carried me into the carriage," the blonde asks and turns her head to finally look at Jane.

Jane raises her eyebrows up high and smiles sheepishly. "I'm sorry about that too. It's just -" She trails off as she is about to say that Maura acted quite iffy. She sighs and shrugs. "Do you want to tell me why you refuse to see your father?"

Maura turns her head away again and eyes the group of men. "You are leading those men?"

The brunette notices that Maura doesn't want to talk about it now and somehow she's glad about it. She'll accompany this woman for only three days, five tops, and she has enough of her own problems. She smiles wryly and shrugs again. "Most times."

"And they listen to you?"

"Most times."

Maura looks once again at the brunette and this time she smiles a real smile. "So they are bound to you?"

Jane blinks a couple of times and frowns as she eyes her laughing fellows. "It's not like they're in my debt, Maura. They are with me because they want to. If one of them tells me that he wants to part our ways, it's fine with me. Then I'll give him enough food, water and money to get through a week. Then we are equal."

"So they're your friends." Maura states and nods slowly.

Jane shakes her head and sits up straight. "No. No, they are more my family. Each of them, though faith brought us together."

"Faith," Maura asks surprised. "So all of you are thralls?"

Jane's face darkens and she almost growls. "No. No, we are no thralls. Each of us is free to do whatever they want to do. Only a person like you would ask something like that."

"A person like me?"

"Yes, a person like you. Someone who always had a fealty and never had to worry what to eat the next day. So yes, a person like you."

"I didn't chose this way of life either." Maura replies harshly and glares at the brunette.

Jane's eyes went huge and she opens her mouth to say something as a leathery waterskin appears in front of her eyes and she looks up into Bear's eyes.

"You okay?" He growls and his eyes land on the blonde.

Jane takes the waterskin from him and takes a sip from it. "Yes." She grumbles and hands the item to the blonde.

Maura shakes her head and takes a swig as well, coughing immediately. "What is this?"

Bear starts to laugh heartily and looks down at Jane.

"Mead." Jane laughs amused and gets up to her feet, looking at her friend. "You don't liked it?" She doesn't wait for a response and starts to head in the direction of the encampment. "Alastair's back from hunting?"

"He just came out of the wood."

"What did he got for us?"

"A boar."

Jane looks surprised at him and starts to smile when a voice rose.

"What about me?"

The brunette stops and turns to the blonde. "What about you?"

Maura places her hands on her hips. "Am I supposed to sit here alone?"

Jane frowns and looks briefly at Bear. "You can come and sit with us and eat, or you can go back to your carriage and be by yourself. Your decision."

Maura looks long at the brunette and turns with a huff, not looking at the other woman anymore.

Jane smiles to herself and rolls her eyes with a shake of the head.

Bear comes to her and frowns. "She doesn't join us?"

Jane shrugs and places thankfully an hand on Alastair's shoulder, smiling at him when he looks up. "She prefers to be alone. Good job, Alastair." She says and sees that he's looking in the direction of the carriage while nodding. "Don't think about it."

Alistair growls low and focuses back at his task, sighing as she squeezes his shoulder.

Baako sits down next to her and looks long at her. "Why are you doing this?" He almost whispers.

Jane doesn't look at him and takes a deep breath. Sometimes, when she has to deal with women like Maura she's asking herself the same, and yet her answer is always the same, "Because sometimes I want to sleep in a normal bed and don't want to have to worry about the tomorrow."

"Because we don't know how many tomorrows we still have." Baako adds and she nods. He nods back at her and looks up at the sky.

Jane can see his wistful gaze and follows his eyes. "Do you sometimes miss it?"

"What?"

"Home."

"Do you?"

Jane's face turns soft and she shakes her head. "I don't have anything that I could call home, Baako."

He scoffs and turns his head to her. "Neither do I, Jane. Do I miss the smell of the ocean sometimes? Yes, I do. But I was forced to come here when I was young, I barely can remember how it was at … **home**."

"You could go back and start a family on your own." Jane states almost rueful. Though Bear is her confident, Baako is family as well.

"And leave you," he asks laughingly and shakes his head. He gets up to his feet and looks long at her. "I'll get you the best piece of the boar."

Jane chuckles and looks after him as he walks to Alastair and as he talks to the other man. She knows that each of them would give their lives for her but she never has been aware that each of them are so devoted to her. She takes a deep breath and leans with closed eyes back against the stone.

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She's laying at her sleeping place and stares up at the clear sky. She hears the snoring of the sleeping men and has to smile a little. That's the time of day she enjoys the most, when she's has the chance to listen to her surroundings and is by herself and when she has the chance to listen to nothing else but silence. She doesn't like the fact that she can hear her own thoughts loud and clear, but she takes it as it is. Jane sits up as soon as she hears a movement and furls her brows when she sees nothing but darkness and a shadow. She is more than aware that she should be more than careful at such time, no one knows what's waiting in the shadows, but a voice in the back of her head tells her that she doesn't have to be careful for the moment. She follows the sounds and frowns as soon as she spots Maura standing and caressing Amyntas. "What are you doing?" She whispers a little too harsh.

The blonde jumps and looks startled at Jane. "I … I -" she stutters and shrinks underneath hard, brown eyes. "The carriage isn't very comfortable and I needed to stretch my legs."

Jane nods slowly and steps closer to her horse. "And then you thought you could pet my horse … Because the two of you are close."

Amyntas snorts and shakes his head like he wants to admonish his owner. Jane looks puzzled at him as he does so.

Maura caresses his nose and smiles softly. "He's a beautiful horse. Amyntas, that's a quite unique name."

Jane eyes the horse who let his head hang and frowns a little. "My younger brother named him like that. Well … my brother and I did so."

The blonde is quiet for a moment and still caresses Amyntas' nose. "You have Amyntas since -"

"He was born," the brunette finishes the sentence and let her hand roam over his neck. "My father wanted to sell him, but somehow I convinced him to keep Amyntas. Well, only under the premise that I'd take care of him, no matter what. I really worked hard to support Amyntas."

"And he pay it back to you now." Maura says and her hazel eyes find brown ones.

"Something like that, yeah." Jane murmurs and smiles softly at the blonde. It's the first time she let her guard down and she doesn't have the feeling that she has to regret it. She can see that in some way Maura and she share the same pain. She scoffs and drops her eyes to the ground.

Maura smiles for real for the first time and turns fully to the way too serious woman. "Can I ask you something?"

Jane's eyes rose again and she nods. "Of course."

Maura licks her lips and hesitates for a moment. "Have you ever killed a person?"

"If I had too," the brunette answers without hesitance and shrugs.

"And how many times has that been?"

"Way too often."

"Too survive."

Jane clench her jaw and nods slowly. "Everything I'm doing, everything **we're** doing is something to survive. It doesn't mean that we are proud of all of the things that we've done." She pauses and tries to study Maura's face. "Like bringing a woman like young to her father so she marries a man she doesn't love, but then her father is mean well by another provincial governor." She laughs when she sees the surprised look of Maura. "Something like that doesn't count to our finest hours, Maura."

Maura blinks a couple of times. "How did you -"

"That you're supposed to get married," Jane asks with a wryly smile and shrugs. "You're not the first we bring back home for the same reason. I have to admit, neither of the other women had been so rebellious like you are."

Maura's smiling broadly and unashamed. "So you'll remember me?"

Jane has to laugh once again and scratches the back of her neck. "Unfortunately I have to answer that with a yes. I will remember you, in a -" She trails off as a sharp whistle echoes through the night and straightens up. Amyntas' ears stand up in the same time.

"Scouts," Caden yells as he drops down from a high tree.

It doesn't take a minute for the other men to react and all of them are up to their feet.

Jane's face hardens and she drags the blonde merciless towards the carriage, kicking the still snoring Bear.

"Jane -" Says a confused Maura as she's almost thrown into the cab.

The brunette knows that she doesn't have the time to explain to the blonde what's going on right now. She turns to Bear and grabs him at the neck of his fur-lined and stared into his eyes. "Bear."

The tall man nods with a frown and his face is dark as his friend's. "We wait until dawn, then we escape eastwards."

Jane nods approvingly and turns to the others. "Alastair, Tadeo, you're coming with me and Caden." She says and all of them hurry to their horses.

Bears sticks his head into the cabin of the carriage and smiles at the frightened Maura. "It's gonna be okay."

"What's happening?" Maura asks scared.

"Just a little problem we take care of." Bear answers and shrugs. "You are safe, princess."

Maura's about to tell him that she's anything but a princess but her brain stops herself when she hears the canter and a frown finds its way upon her forehead. The voice in the back of her mind that this is anything but okay.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, guys. Thank you all for reading this story and thank you for, following and reviewing. Your words really means a lot to me.**

 **I hope that you people are going to enjoy this update. Again, thank you.**

 **T73.**

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Maura is beyond glad that she finds everyone safe and sound the next morning as she gets out of the carriage. She had spend the rest of the night in there like Bear told her. She was a little surprised that he really followed the brunette's order and didn't make the attempt to head eastwards as soon as Jane was out of sight. She hurries to the group and looks at each of them. She can see that everyone came back but Jane isn't anywhere to be seen and that unsettles her a lot. "Where is Jane?"

Neither of the men is looking at her and doesn't answer her question.

Bear has a hard face as he unsaddles Amyntas and caresses the horse's neck.

Maura isn't used to such a repulsing demeanor and crosses her arms over her chest. "Where is Jane?" She repeats her question a little louder this time.

Baako's eyes find those of Caden and shrugs a little.

Caden takes a deep breath before he turns to the blonde. "She's down at the creek."

"Is she fine?"

The man nods slowly and nods in the direction. "Yes. Come on, I show you the way."

"Thank you," Maura whispers more or less and starts to follow him.

Caden holds his head up high and stops abruptly when Alastair steps dead serious into his way. "Alastair." He says with a warningly tone.

"You don't bring that woman to Jane now. She wants to be alone." Alastair says low and doesn't move a bit.

The smaller man steps closer and holds Alastair's glare. "Get out of my way, **now**!"

Alastair clenches his jaw and his face darkens. "Or what?"

" **Alastair**!" Bear barks and the horses balk for a second.

Alastair can see that Bear isn't in the mood for arguing right now and knows that he better not messes with the tall man when he's in such a mood. He hesitates but then he steps to the side.

"Come on." Caden says and starts to walk again, bumping his shoulder into his friend's. He might be smaller than Alastair, but physically he's vastly superior.

Maura lowers her eyes and follows him once again. She didn't want any of this and even didn't want to cause turmoil. She doesn't dare to look at Alastair when she passes him and frowns a little, wondering why he dislikes her so much.

"You have to forgive Alastair." Caden says as he leads the way to the creek. "Normally he's a nice man."

"And why is he behaving like this when I'm around," Maura asks and tries not to stumble over protruding roots.

The man shrugs and takes a deep breath. "Alastair once was in the fealty of a man like your father, a governor. He had a good life, a home."

"And why did he left the fealty?"

"He had to. He was something like a guard and unfortunately Alastair fell in love with the governor's daughter.

Maura wiggles her brows and nods to herself. "I still can't see the reason why Alastair had to leave."

Caden looks at her and smiles friendly. "The governor's daughter was promised to an old friend of her father, but she found it more interesting to spend her time with people like Alastair, people who weren't twenty years older. And Alastair had to be around her every time she left the house."

Maura starts to understand and raises her eyebrows. "And then one thing led to the other."

"Exactly." Caden agrees without looking at the blonde. "It's not like he had another choice than fleeing. It was that or being hung for disobedience. That's why Alastair tries to protect Jane from the same mistake he once did."

Maura is silent for a moment and starts shaking her head, wondering what Caden implies. "But … you can't just turn off your feelings for someone you really love. You can't decide with whom you fall in love."

He chuckles amused and slows his steps, looking at her. "Did you tell that you father too, Maura?"

Maura takes a moment before she answers the question, "I did, Caden."

"And yet you are here." He counter and stops suddenly as they reach the creek. "Maybe you should tell Jane the same. That you are not like the most women we escort."

Maura's wondering why she should tell this to the woman she doesn't know if Jane would care about it. And she's wondering why she should talk with the brunette about love.

Caden smiles once again and nods at the brunette who is kneeling at the shore and washing something angrily off of her hands. "There she is. I … keep my distance."

Maura hesitates and looks puzzled at the man. She wonders why he says that he's keeping his distance and why the brunette seems to be beyond angry. She starts to step closer to Jane and relief is spreading through her body as she sees that Jane seems to be fine. "Jane?"

Jane stops dead and her head shoots up as soon as she hears her name and anger is boiling in her stomach. She turns her head in the direction and her facial muscle twitches as soon as she spots the blonde. "Did you know that your father's bailiffs followed us?"

Maura slows her steps and the surprise is written all over her face. "I'm sorry?"

Jane clenches her jaw and more or less throws a scroll at Maura. "That's your father's deed. The men who followed us have been your father's men. Did you know about it?"

"I did not know about it!" Maura answers with an high-pitched voice and swallows hard as she sees the bloodstains on the paper. "I already tell you that I even didn't know that he sent you. Perhaps he wanted to make sure that you'll obey his orders."

"Perhaps he wanted to make sure that his precious daughter arrives and that he doesn't have to pay us for our service." Jane spits and steps closer to the blonde. "Seems like you're a valuable trade."

"I am not a thing." Maura replies offended and furls her eyebrows. "I am a living person."

Jane stares straight into hazel eyes and for a minute she sees something else than what she just said. But then reality sets in and she turns away. For a second she saw a woman who also is in distress. "I am not a good Samaritan, Maura."

"Yes, you are, Jane." The blonde replies a little louder and steps closer. "You are surrounded by people who were in need for help. You are surrounded by -"

"You are nothing but money to me, Maura." Jane says just as loud as the blonde did and furrows her brows as Maura's voice dies down, and hates herself when she sees the painful look. She can't afford it to let Maura come too close even though she knows that Maura already went beyond her defensive walls at some point. She throws her hands up and set her jaw. "You are nothing but money and freedom for me, Maura." She says calmly and licks her lips. "You are nothing more than **our** insurance. We bring you back to your father and then we're done."

Maura looks long at the other woman and can see the struggle within Jane. "You don't mean that." She doesn't know why but she places an hand on Jane's cheek. "You poor woman."

Jane gives in for a moment before her body tenses up and she steps back. "I don't need your pity."

Maura drops her hand and frowns. "It's no pity. It's sympathy, Jane."

"Sympathy." Jane growls and clenches her fists. "You know nothing about sympathy."

Maura is silent for a moment and doesn't know what to say about that. She can't understand why the brunette is reacting that way and how to react on Jane's outburst this moment. Normally, she would turn around and leave the other woman alone, but she's quite aware of the fact that she has to get along with Jane and her men, and that she has to learn how to handle the feisty woman. Somehow, she can see that Jane had been through a lot and she is more than sure that she wants to know the entire story. She takes a deep breath and licks her lips. "I really didn't know that my father would send his mean after you."

Jane let the words sink in and chews on the inside of her cheek, frowning. "And what about your coachman?"

"Edward," Maura asks surprised back and laughs briefly, but then she turns serious as she catches the brunette's serious gaze. "I know him for years, he's loyal to me. I don't know how he would have to do with any of this."

"He was conspiring with your father's scouts." Jane snaps and steps closer to the blonde.

The smaller woman blinks a couple of times and frowns deeply as soon as she becomes aware of the fact that she hasn't seen her dear friend when she got out of the carriage. "What did you do?"

Jane's whole body is still tense and so is her facial expression. "What I had to do."

Maura's eyes become huge and sad in the same time. "Does that include killing Edward?"

"He helped those scouts to follow us."

"He was my friend." The blonde yells and birds dart startled up in the sky.

"He was a traitor." Jane yells back and holds the smaller woman's piercing gaze. "He betrayed **you** , he betrayed us! My part is to keep you safe, to keep all of you safe. Even if that means to eliminate every potential threat."

"I didn't ask you for that. I didn't ask of any of this."

"It doesn't matter of what you're asking for, Maura." Jane replies louder and furls her brows. She points around in the wilderness and hunch her shoulders. "This is life, this is reality. It's blackly, it's unfair and not beautiful. You do what you have to do to survive which means picking your friends carefully. Perhaps you can feel save behind thick walls and be surrounded by false friends, but that's something you cannot afford out here. And sometimes that means that you have to get rid of someone whose stabbing you from behind. Your coachman was that kind of person. I am not sorry that I want to stay alive a little bit longer and that I want to spend some days in a real bed after we dropped you off at your father's caput."

Maura scoffs and shakes her head. "You are beyond selfish. Edward had to feed three little children and wife."

The brunette's eyebrows shoot up high and points at herself. "I have to feed seven people, eight with my person. So it's selfish to survive and to give us the chance to have a fairly good life? Every single person makes their own decision, and some of those said people just makes wrong decision and then they have to pay the prize. And Edward made an incredible stupid decision, and then he had to take the consequences. Am I sorry for his family? Yes, I am, but that's how it is now. Accept it."

Maura looks scandalized at the other woman and suddenly she feels like she's out of place. Of course she knew that life isn't a bed of roses and that people are doing unthinkable things to stay alive. She never thought that she really has such a privileged life. She doesn't say a word right now and wipes a single tear off her cheek.

Jane sees the movement and feels bad immediately. She knows that it must be shocking for a woman like the blonde to face the harsh reality and makes a decision that she probably will regret. "Come on, we're bringing you back to the mansion we'd picked you up at."

Maura is beyond confused and frowns when Jane's voice softens all of a sudden. "And what about your own safety? My father will be anything but pleased when you bring me back now."

Jane shrugs tiredly and starts to walk. "I'm out in the woods for over ten years, I'm a survivalist, we all are." She says without looking at Maura. She can imagine that she'll meet with chagrin but that's something she can handle. But what she can't handle anymore is all the discussions with Maura and to warrant everything she decides. Neither Bear, Alastair, Baako, Macario, Aegeus, Caden nor Tadeo had ever questioned her. Of course they had discussions when it came to really big decisions, but at the end they agreed. Discussing things with Maura is really tiring her already, she just want to get rid of her even if that means that she won't be rewarded for dropping the blonde off at her father's mansion.

"I am not coming with you." Maura says all of a sudden and stops to follow the brunette.

Jane slows her steps and turns to look at Maura. "What?"

"I said, I'm not coming with you." Maura replies stubbornly and dares the her woman.

Jane shifts her weight from one foot to the other and crosses her arms over her chest while she's studying Maura's face. Then she scoffs and turns again to leave. "Fine, good luck." She says and walks again, but then her conscience comes up and she glares at the other woman. "You're not going to make it a day out here alone. Move, or I'm gonna drag you all the way back to your home."

Maura purses her lips and raises her eyebrows. "I said no, I'm not coming with you."

Jane is slowly but surely losing her patience and growls dangerously. "Maura, this isn't some kind of game. You don't want go back? Fine by me. And what do you think? How are you gonna survive, huh?" She gives Maura the chance to think about an good answer and tucks her chin in when she sees the answer bright and clear in hazel eyes. She laughs sarcastically and shakes her head. "Oh no, this is not going to happen. Only over my dead body."

Maura starts to smirk cocky and tilts her head to the side.

"No." Jane says louder and walks again, this time with Maura in her wake. "Not gonna happen."

The blonde chuckles amused and wiggles her brows.


	5. Chapter 5

**Alright, guys. Here's the update and I hope you'll like it. Thank you all for reading and following and the reviews. I don't know why but I had those scenes in my head for a while and needed to get it out. Of course you are as always welcome to share your opinion.**

 **Enjoy,**

 **T73.**

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"Have you lost your mind?" Macario asks full-throatedly after Jane has proclaimed that they're not gonna drop off Maura at her father's place. "Her father and his men are going to hunt us for that."

Jane doesn't look at him but she can feel that he's not the only one with that opinion. She knows that this is a bold venture but she never let someone down who asked for her help, and she isn't in the mood for any other discussion. She clench her jaw and puts the bridle on Amyntas. "This is not to discuss, Macario. It's final."

Baako is about to look through Maura's luggage and looks at the two arguing people, frowning.

Tadeo is doing like Jane and holds his tongue.

"She doesn't have any skills, Jane." Macario continues. "She's just another mouth to feed."

That's it. That's what makes Jane turns to him with a dark face. "Just like you have been when we took you in?" She says and everyone straightens up as she shoves her index finger into his chest. "You have been nothing but a spoiled, little child before we took you in, with no extraordinary skills too."

Baako's jumping down from the roof of the carriage and steps closer while the other men slows their actions.

"I can act as a diplomat." Macario asks louder and everyone stops doing whatever they are doing in this moment.

Jane still has an serious expression and clenches her jaw. "Yes, you are a very good diplomat. Every time something does not work the way you want, you lose your temper. Maura probably is more diplomatic than you are, and if it bothers you, you are free to go. No one's holding you back."

Macario blinks a couple of times and knows that Jane is beyond serious about that. He crosses his arms over his chest and waits a moment before he says, "Maybe I will."

Jane turns away from him again and continues to prepare Amyntas to ride off. She had this conversation more than once and has only one thing left to say, "Good luck then."

Macario's eyebrows shoot up high and he feels like someone has hit him in the guts. He grabs Jane at the elbow so she's looking at him once again. "So that's it? You throw three years of friendship away just like that? Because of her?"

Aegeus is already alarmed and steps closer. He already has seen a disagreement between Jane and Macario, but it never went this far that he literally put an hand on her.

Jane stares down at the said hand and quirks an eyebrow. "Let go of me or you will lose this hand."

He can see that she means it and drops his hand back down to his side. "Jane -"

She steps into his personal space and glares at him. "Either you are truly behind me or you grab you things and get lost, your decision. But if you do this ever again, I promise, you'll regret it." She looks at the other men and suppresses a loud sigh. "Are we ready to depart?" She mounts when everyone nods and maneuvers Amyntas in the direction of the blonde as she sees that the woman looks puzzled at the gray horse. "What's the problem?"

Maura looks up at the brunette and blushes. "I …" She sighs with a frown. "I never have ridden a horse without a pillion."

Jane let the information sink in and a smile is grazing her lips.

Alastair looks down at his hands to hide his amused smile. He doesn't always have the same opinion as the brunette, but when Jane says it's the right thing to do, then it's the right thing to do and he accepts her decision.

Amyntas shakes his head impatiently and his rider loosen the reigns.

"Don't worry about that now." Jane says and looks at her dear friend Bear. "Help her up, would you?"

Bear chuckles amused when he lifts the blonde up and hears a surprised gasp.

"Thank you." Maura says and smiles as he salutes before he gets up on his own horse.

"Let's go." The brunette orders and spurs Amyntas. She keeps him at a walking pace and looks at the blonde. "Don't worry, I keep the pace low so you don't think you're embarrassing yourself."

Maura blushes once again and doesn't look at Jane. "Thank you." She replies sheepishly. "It's just … I've never ridden a carriage horse or used that kind of saddle."

"A draft horse would be better for you?" Jane shoots back and looks long at the other woman.

"No." Maura laughs amused and shakes her head. "No, absolutely not. Can I ask where we are going now?"

Jane takes a moment before she answers, "You can. We are not that far away from you mansion. Your father doesn't know that there was a change of plans. We go back to your place and see if you own something that can help you to survive in the wilderness before we equip you completely on our ways to new … **adventures**." She pauses and takes a deep breath. "And you are absolutely sure that you want to do this? When we make the next step, there's no going back."

Maura purses her lips and looks straight ahead. "Perhaps it appears that I had the perfect life in my father's environment, but in fact I was trapped. Locked up in a gilded cage. I never had a say in anything and only had been surrounded by servants. I never really attended the real life."

"Being locked up in a gilded cage did you good, didn't it? You are well-educated."

"That's quite a high price, isn't it? I never belonged to anyone until my father decided that it is time for me to get married to a man I never met before."

Jane is silent for a moment and tries to relate with that but can't imagine what kind of life Maura has been living. She might doesn't have the best life but she never had to justify herself or to bow down to someone who thought they would know what's best for her. She always wondered why people like Macario or Maura would refuse a life in affluence and safety, and unfortunately the thought to ask for the reason why never crossed her mind. She's used that those who are following her path come to her every now and then and tell her their story bit by bit. She frowns without looking at the blonde. "You still have to learn a lot. Maybe you think that this kind of life is exiting in the beginning, but often we are met with resentment and scorn."

"And why is that," the blonde asks and has a confused face.

Jane scoffs and shrugs. "Mainly because the group is led by me, but also because some things that we're doing for certain persons."

Maura thinks shortly. "And what kind of things are you also doing that put false colors upon you?"

Jane's face darkens and she shakes her head. "Things that you will not be involved in."

Maura narrows her eyes before she takes a closer look at the men, and then it dawns to her. "You are a kind of freelancer, aren't you?"

"We do what we have to do to get food into our bellies." Jane answers brusquely. "Each of us do their bit, we will find adequately commission for you as well." She spurs Amyntas so she can avoid the next questions she knows that will come. She already has lowered her protective walls, she doesn't want to expose herself completely.

Maura looks dumbfounded after the brunette and a deep frown crawls upon her forehead. Every time she thinks she gets to know Jane a little more, the brunette withdraws herself again.

Bear appears beside her all of a sudden and smiles friendly at Maura. "Are you okay?"

"I am." Maura replies with a nod of her head. "Maybe a little bit confused."

Bear starts to point around. "Why are you confused? That's a tree, that's a bush and the thing you are traveling on is a horse. There is nothing to be confused about."

She has to smile broadly and raises her eyebrows. "I am confused because of Jane."

He shifts in his saddle and takes a deep breath. "Yes, Jane is a real mystery. Not many know her story."

"How many?"

"Only one. Me."

Maura let the words sink in and looks questioningly at the man. "What happened to her?"

"Oh, no." Bear laughs and scratches the back of his head. "No, I can't tell you that. I prefer to stay alive. If you want to know about her life, you have to ask Jane yourself. Maybe she tells you, maybe not."

Maura nods slowly and smiles a little. She starts to understand that Jane's story has to be complicated and sad in the same time.

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Jane's standing at a small stonewall that stands in the yard of Maura's mansion and looks far into the distance. The thought of being safe and sound for a couple of hours somehow calms her down and she let her eyes wander around the landscape. If she wouldn't know the background story, she would think that Maura's insane. Who would want to leave such a place.

"I never have seen you so calm."

The brunette jumps and swirls around. She furls her brows when she looks into Maura's peaceful face. "You mean in the couple of days we know each other?"

"Yes," the smaller woman laughs and walks towards Jane. "That's exactly what I meant."

Jane turns away so she can hide her smile that plays on her lips. "It doesn't happen often that I don't have to be fully aware of my surroundings."

"When was the last time you let your guard down completely?"

"That's long ago. Way too long ago to be honest. I barely can remember."

The smaller woman looks in the same direction and hunch her shoulders. "Maybe it was meant to be that we get to know each other. "

"Yes, maybe." Jane almost whispers and inter fold her arms. She was never one of those who really believed in fate. Fate didn't do her any good in past ten years. She thinks that all of this is some kind of plan, then it's just cruel. She shakes that thought of and turns to the blonde. "Thank you for regale us."

Maura smiles softly at the other woman. "To be exact, currently you are my guests. What kind of hostess would I be if I don't offer you food and drinks? Though the others are eating like they haven't seen food for quite a while."

Jane has to laugh about that and looks down at the ground. "Perhaps that's because it's been a while that we had a thorough meal. I'm sorry about that."

"No need to apologize about that." Maura replies and wiggles her eyebrows. "I like the thought of leaving the buttery empty, and you have done so much for me in those couple of days, I can't repay you for this."

Jane opens her mouth to tell Maura that there is no repayment necessary and that she was only doing for what she was hired, but then she changes her mind because she's doing something that is unforgivable in the eyes of the blonde's father. Instead she says, "It's a beautiful place. I hardly can believe that you want to leave this behind."

Maura nods and steps a little closer. "It is indeed." She says and sadness is evident in her voice. "It is a beautiful house and a beautiful property, but to me it always felt like a prison. I rather spend my life in freedom than to die alone as a prisoner."

Jane studies Maura's face for a while and something, deep inside of her, is happening in that moment. "I will protect you." She says and doesn't know why that came out of her mouth.

Maura looks up and can't help the smile. "You know, sometimes you should think of yourself instead of everyone else."

Jane frowns deeply and sighs. "I have responsibility, Maura. That gives me no room for thinking of only myself. And just yesterday you called me selfish."

Maura realizes that she shouldn't have said that to Jane because she devotes herself for each of her followers. She licks her lips and thinks about to touch the brunette's arm, but then she drops her hand. "I should not have say that, Jane. You are many things but you are not selfish."

"Maybe I am a little bit." Jane admits with a small smile. "I am out there for over ten years, Maura. I have been lonely, I have been betrayed and I have been hurt, mentally and physically. I would do anything for these men in your dining hall, even die if I have to. And I do everything to keep them around me."

"And yet you were willed to send Macario away just because of me," Maura asks confused.

Jane smiles sadly and starts to walk down small path, and the blonde follows her. "It wasn't just because of you, Maura. I have a suspicion since a while, that Macario isn't loyal to anyone but himself and I can't risk that. What Aegeus, Caden, Baako, Tadeo, Alastair and I have is a solitary. It's small but strong, and I can't afford a weak spot because that makes all of us vulnerable. I need to know that each member of this solitary is willed to do the same things for me that I'm doing for them. Macario is not trustworthy anymore."

Maura nods slowly but then she slows her steps. "So are you going to -"

"Kill Macario?" Jane finishes the question when the smaller woman trails off, shaking her head. "No, not yet. He was right, we have been friends for a long time and I don't kill someone just because they had a change of mind. I will send him away and time will tell what happens to him. You can call us a lot, Maura, but we are no barbarians." Worry is mirrored in her eyes now and she takes another deep breath. "But deep down I know that Macario will not give us much of a choice in the future. That he is go to align himself with the wrong people."

"Did that happen more times in the past?"

"That a former member aligned themselves with the wrong allies? Unfortunately plenty of times."

Maura is silent and takes the new information in. She hardly can imagine Jane covered in the blood and guts of her former friends. She hardly can imagine any of committed solitary in such a situation.

Jane notices that Maura is quiet for a while and looks at her. "You still have the chance to back from that kind of life. We can bring you to your father's and come up with an good excuse for the delay."

" **No**!" Maura says emphatically and Jane's eyebrows shoot up high. "No, I'm coming with you. That's once and for all."

Jane nods once and can't help the small smile. "All right then. It's settled."

The blonde walks through the garden next to Jane and licks her lips. "When we met for the first time, I noticed that you are different."

Jane furls her brows but doesn't look at Maura, but then she stops all of a sudden and makes a bowing and scraping. "Because I do not ask how I can help you?"

Maura laughs heartily and shakes her head. "On a other way, on a special way."

Jane clench her jaw and straightens her back. "Obviously I am not like other women."

"No, you are not." Maura agrees and smiles. "And I think it is a good thing."

Jane turns serious again because she knows that Maura has absolutely no idea what she's talking about, and places an hand on the small of the blonde's back. "Come on, let us get inside before the others wonder where we are."

The contact doesn't bother Maura. On the contrary, she enjoys it and steps even closer. The touch let her believe that somehow got through Jane's guard and that they are building up trust. In the time alone she has learned that the brunette is multifaceted and not just the serious and tough woman. That she also can be funny in some way. She looks up at the brunette and frowns. "What are we doing now?"

Jane opens the a door of the mansion and smiles wryly. " **Now** , we eat and drink."

"So we are not departing today?"

"If you do not mind."

Maura smiles slyly now and enters the house. "Not at all."

Jane grins and shakes amused her head. She thought that this woman would be stuck-up in the first moment and now she's surprised that they are not so different at all. Now she's sure that they'll get along though Maura still have to learn a lot, but now she doesn't want to worry about that. For once she want to lay down the burden that she's carrying for so long without looking out for any potential threat. For once she wants to let down her guard and enjoys her being because she knows tomorrow she has to be responsible again.


	6. Chapter 6

Jane keeps her distance as she walks down the hallway with Maura with an relaxed expression. She has to admit, she almost missed evenings when she could be free from worry.

Maura stops at a large, wooden door and smiles. "This is my room."

Jane nods once and points at the floor next to the door. "If you need anything, I'm right here."

"Or you could one of the rooms next to mine and have some rest." Maura laughs amused. It's evident that she had one of the best nights of her entire life.

Jane tries to hide her smile again and bows a little.

"It doesn't hurt, you know." Maura says as she rights Jane. She sees the puzzled look and tilts her head to the side. "To smile every now and then, it doesn't hurt."

Jane furrows her eyebrows now. "Have you spoken to Bear?"

"Plenty since I know him. Why do you ask?"

Jane scoffs and rolls her eyes. "Because it seems like you share the same opinion."

Maura smiles again and opens the door. "Then it has to be true." She says and shrugs. "But I do like your smile, that's why I am saying it."

A comfortable silence settles over them and they hold each others gaze, but then Jane steps back. "Have a good night, Maura."

Maura doesn't take it personal this time and is about to close the door. "You too, Jane."

Jane stands in front of the door for a moment after it's closed and decides to settle for the night in the right bedroom. She sighs and shakes her head to get rid of the strange feeling in her chest. It's been a while since this kind of feelings spread through her body and she doesn't like it at all.

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The next morning, she's sitting on a stony bench and watches Macario flirting with one of Maura's maid and frowns deeply. Deep down in her heart she knows that he isn't the same anymore that he once was as they took him in. She can understand it though. The lack of social interactions changes everyone, for better or worse. Sadly, she has the feeling that it changed Macario for worse. Once he was like Maura. Eager to experience freedom and adventures, but life isn't like that. Life is a permanent fight, either you survive or you end up in a narrow circle of friends. That means almost alone.

"Baako," she says as she notice a movement in the corner of her eyes.

Baako steps out of the shadow and nods. "Yes."

"I hope that you know that you are not my guard." She states seriously and then nods decently in the direction of flirting Macario. "Keep an eye on Macario, will you?"

Baako is one of her trustworthiest men and nods without hesitance. "As you wish."

Jane doesn't feel fine with the order but she tells herself that what needs to be done has to be done. She looks up as someone steps closely in front of her and frowns as a cup appears in front of her eyes.

"Don't worry." Maura answers the unasked question with a smile. "It's water."

"How thoughtful." Jane replies with a smile and takes the cup, sipping the beverage. "I'm not dropping dead, will I?"

"Who knows." Maura replies with a shrug and sits down next to Jane. "Bear takes care of Amyntas."

"Did he say so?"

"He did."

"Okay." Jane says absentmindedly and her head snaps up all of a sudden.

Maura's frowning and asks, "What's wrong?"

Jane looks past her and quirks an eyebrow as Tadeo rounds the corner. "Tadeo, my friend. What can I do for you?"

Tadeo's grinning and eyes Maura for a second. "I was looking for an itinerary southwards just like you told me yesterday." He says and spreads a map over his and Jane's lap when she nods. "We should avoid Aramore and Black Hallows if we want to arrive Hirane in one piece."

Jane studies the map and furrows her brows when she looks back at him. "And why is that so?"

Tadeo hesitates and clears his throat, looking decently at the blonde next to Jane.

Jane follows not so decently his glance and her eyes went huge when she understands what Tadeo's implying. She looks back down at the map to hide the deep blush. "You are right, Tadeo. We should not travel through these towns. What do you propose?"

"Let's stay off the main track, that should keep us out of trouble."

"Sounds like a plan."

Maura has followed the conversation and is once again confused. "What happened in Aramore and Black Hollows?"

Jane still doesn't look at Maura and clears her throat. "Nothing important."

Maura has learned one thing in the short time she knows Jane. Not to push further if the brunette don't want to talk about something. She nods once and looks at Tadeo. "So, you are the navigator?"

He frowns an little and can see that Jane's smiling a little. "I wouldn't call myself navigator."

"What's your commission then?"

"Tadeo is many things." Jane replies and pats his back. "Mainly he's our strategist."

"I think I prefer navigator." He suddenly says and shrugs. "Jane's the real strategist."

"So you really cover it all."

Jane takes a deep breath and looks once again at Macario. "We try our best, but yes."

Tadeo senses the sudden change and scratches his bearded chin. "What are we doing about Macario?"

Jane is taken by surprise but sighs. She should have noticed that she isn't the only one who doesn't trust Macario anymore. His outburst yesterday was just the icing on the cake. "I don't know." She admits and props her elbows on her knees. "But I asked Baako to keep an eye on him."

Maura places an hand on Jane's back without thinking and furrows her eyebrows as the brunette looks at her. "Jane, you don't have to decide anything now. Sometimes it is better to take your time before you make a bad call."

Tadeo prepares himself for Jane's fit if spleen and takes his distance.

Jane stares at the blonde and has to swallow hard. Normally she would brush the hand angrily off and give the person a clear warning, but somehow it doesn't bother her that Maura dares to do so and nods slowly. "You are right. I could not forgive myself if I make the wrong call."

Maura smiles softly and nods approvingly.

Tadeo's eyebrows shoot up high and he swallows back the question if Jane has hit her head hard.

Jane claps her hands and gets up to her feet. "All right then. Let's see what the rest of us doing."

Tadeo and Maura are doing the same and follow the brunette. He steps closer to Maura and bends his head a little. "I think we just found out what your commission is going to be." He says low and his eyes stay glued on Jane.

Maura looks questioningly at the man and tilts her head to the side. "And what would that be?"

He takes a deep breath and a smile tugs at his lips. "Jane's personal advisor."

Maura opens her mouth for a second before she purses her lips. "I thought that would be Bear." She replies with a hushed voice.

"No. No, Bear is her closest confidant and guard if it is necessary. Macario was Jane's personal advisor."

"If this is my commission, I should know what happened in Ardmore and in Black Hollows."

Tadeo opens his mouth to tell her the story but then he stops himself. I chuckles and raises his index finger. "Nice try, you almost got me. I start to like you."

She smiles proudly and licks her lips. "You can tell -" She trails off when Jane turns her head and scowls at them.

He starts to laugh heartily and wiggles his brows. "Feels like she can read our mind, right?"

Jane slows her steps and scrutinize each of their faces. "It does not matter what happened in Black Hollows or Aramore."

Maura lowers her gaze and feels bad because she tried to winkle information out of Tadeo. "I'm sorry, Jane."

Tadeo rolls his eyes and holds the brunette's gaze. "I think Maura should become your personal advisor."

Jane blinks a couple of times and considers his proposal. She looks back at Macario and sighs heavily. "You are right, I think that's the best solution. Go and prepare victuals and some money for Macario. I'm going to talk to him."

Tadeo can see that this call doesn't go easy on Jane and nods without opposition before he turns to leave.

Maura stays at the taller woman's side but keeps her mouth shut for a couple of seconds. "What do you want me to do?"

Maura's voice straddles Jane and looks confused down at the blonde. "Um, Aegeus and Caden are at the bottom stonewall and practice hand-to-hand combat. Go join them and see if you can learn something. Though I hope you will never need it."

Maura doesn't leave Jane instantly but doesn't say anything. She can tell that Jane is already having the conversation with Macario in her head and can understand that she wants to talk to him in private. She places an hand on the taller woman's shoulder before she walks away.

Jane clenches her jaw and nods to herself before she walks towards Macario. She puts an hand on his arm and smiles friendly at the maid. "Macario, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Macario frowns a little and excuses himself. "Of course."

"Walk with me," she says and starts to walk again.

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Jane caresses the neck of Macario's horse and sighs heavily. She looks long at him and hands him a coin pouch. "You have victuals for one week and the money should be enough for the same amount of time."

He weights the coin pouch and nods slowly. "You are sending Baako or Caden after me, aren't you?"

She shakes her head and swallows hard. "No, not this time. You can go wherever you want to go. **But** there is one condition."

He is silent for a moment and looks her in the eye. "And what do you want me to do?"

"Make the right call, Macario. If you align with someone who wants us dead, I will hound you merciless, and then I will kill you."

He let the words sink in and licks his lips as he looks at the others who are standing behind Jane. He's quite sure that she means what she said and he won't be out for trouble with them. "I understand."

Jane nods relieved though something tells her that he won't stay true to his word. She gives him a hug and clenches her jaw. "Good luck, my friend."

Macario wishes her the same and bits farewell to the other before he gets up on his horse and turns to leave without looking back.

Baako is about to follow him and frowns as Jane grabs him at his arm.

"Not this time." She simply says determined. "Not now."

"But -" He wants to object but accepts her order.

Jane nods and draws her attention to Maura. "Can we stay a couple more days?"

Maura blinks a couple of times and nods. "As long as you want to."

"I'm afraid that we only have a couple of days left." Jane mumbles more to herself and walks past the blonde .

Maura wants to follow her but Alastair blocks her way all of a sudden. She is afraid that he's about to give her a hard time and straightens her back.

"Give her some time alone, Maura." He says and frowns a little.

She can see that he's worried as well and sighs.

"The stables are back there?" He asks and thrust his chin in the direction of the outlying sheds.

"Yes." She answers and looks puzzled at him.

"Come on, maybe we find cargo wagons there. And a more appropriate horse for you."

Maura slows her steps and furrows eyebrows. "To be honest, I feel quite comfortable with the one I was ridding."

He stops abruptly and glances amused at her. "And why have you been complaining all the time?" He laughs out loud as soon as he sees her cheeky smile. "You are quite all right. Let's go."

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Bear enters a large study and spots Jane sitting absentmindedly at a wooden table. He slowly walks towards her and folds his arms. "Jane, what are you doing?"

"Thinking," she replies instantly like she has prepared herself for him to follow her.

"Sending Macario away with victuals and money that we could need and the really letting get away … It is out of character for you."

Jane finally raises her eyes to meet his and leans back in her chair. "Don't you think that I have enough blood on my hands already?"

"Macario is going to sell us down the river and you know that." He replies louder and furls his brows. "He probably goes to Maura's father and tells him about our plans."

"And when they come, we are prepared."

"Are we, Jane?"

The brunette almost jumps up to her feet and her face darkens. "Are you questioning my judgment, Bear?"

The Scandinavian licks nervously his lips and avoids her eyes. He holds his hands up and frowns. "Of course not, Jane. I am only surprised just like the others."

Jane raises her eyebrows high and starts to round the table. "So you are speaking for the others? Are you talking about me behind my back?"

The scene is almost comical. The color drains from the tall man's face and he backs away from her. "That is not what I meant."

"Oh no?" Jane replies and walks slowly towards him. "Then tell me what you meant, Bear."

His shoulders slump and he sighs heavily. "Normally we don't spend more then three days at a tavern. Why staying here longer than that?"

Jane runs an hand over her mouth and takes a deep breath. "I am tired, Bear, and so are you. So is each of us." She holds the hand up when Bear opens his mouth to protest. "Do not dare denying, my friend. I can see it in each of your faces. We are already so long out there that we do know not anymore how it feels to have a real bed and to have a full stomach. How it feels to come to rest for some time. Don't you think that we have deserve it? That the others deserve it?" She pauses and shakes her head. "Maura offers us a place to recover from real life, at least for a couple of days. Reality gets us back soon enough. Have fun for a little while, each of you."

Bear starts to understand and frowns once again. "What about you?"

Jane walks back to her chair and braces herself on the back of it, tilting her head to the side. "What about me?"

"What are you doing while we are enjoying ourselves?"

"I will sit here and think about how to avoid the Isles family, the McKinnon's and the Capelli's." Jane explains and wiggles her eyebrows. "I promised Maura to protect her and leading us into the lion's den is not what I meant with that."

Bear shifts his weight from one foot to the other and runs his hand over his beard. "You do like her, right?"

"She is trustworthy and sharp as a tack." Jane replies and walks to a window. "She will be a gain for us."

Bear rolls his eyes and laughs once. "It is not what I meant. I did not see you smile so much since -" He stops himself but doesn't back down as she glares at him. "It is okay to allow yourself to feel."

"I cannot afford this kind of feelings once again." She snaps and turns her attention back to the window. "Maura is good for our group. And now, this conversation is over. I would like to be alone."

He wants to protest once again but he also knows that it's already a lost battle. He nods to himself and does what Jane wished for, he leaves her alone for now.

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Maura walks towards the camp Baako had built up under a tree in the garden and smiles at the man as he looks up at her.

"I hope this is okay." He says and frowns. "Come, sit with me."

"This is perfectly fine." Maura says and sits down across from him. "I hope that you don't have to sleep here. The house holds enough rooms for all of us."

Baako shifts his weight and points up at the starlit sky, smiling a little. "I appreciate your offer, Miss Maura, but I prefer to sleep under the sky. Every time I see stars it reminds me a little bit if home."

"Home?"

"Yes."

"Where do you come from, if you don't mind asking."

"I don not." Baako answers and looks directly at the blonde. "My people and I had been desert dwellers in Syria."

Maura looks amazed at him. "You are a Bedouin?"

"I am." He answers and shrugs. "I was. We are a farraginous bunch of men. Bear is coming from Norway, Caden comes from Scotland, Aegeus from Greek, Tadeo's home was Spania and Alastair once called Britannia his home."

Maura turns the corners of her mouth downwards and then she smiles. "You are really a farraginous bunch of men. And where is Jane coming from?"

"No one knows for sure." Baako answers and takes a deep breath. "All we know is that here roots lies in Italy, but I think that she comes from everywhere. Jane is a restless soul you know."

Maura frowns and takes accepts the mug that he's offering her. "When did you meet Jane, and how?"

He turns serious and looks into the darkness. "I met her and Bear six years ago in the desert I once called home. I was close to dying of thirst and hunger when they found me. They put meat on my bones again. You have to know that my clan and I hosted a group of people who called themselves explores, but in reality they were conquistadores. They have slaughtered all of my people but I can't remember how I got away. I don't know why but I believe to remember that Jane and Bear had smitten them with their sword. But … my memory can fool me."

Maura takes all the new information in and has to blink the tears in her eyes back. "Though I don't know Jane and Bear as long as you do, I think that your memory does not fool you."

Baako nods slowly and sips the water in his own mug. "You know, we sometimes we have to do things that neither of us condone normally. And Jane tries to avoid those jobs, but -"

"Sometimes you don't have another choice." Maura finishes as he trails off.

He nods approvingly and looks long at her. "Maura, we are good people because our leader is a good person."

"I never doubt that." Maura states and sighs heavily. "Why is Jane trying to avoid Black Hollows and Aramore?"

"Black Hollows," he groans and runs an hand through his hair. "We stayed for over a month in Black Hollows and enjoined the longer stop, and so did Jane. She got off with a girl named Katrina Capelli, and of course they tried to keep it secret because Katarina's brother Emmanuel was very interested in Katrina himself, and unfortunately he was, and probably still is, the mayor of Black Hollows."

Maura has to take in a lot of new information about Jane but only thought crosses her mind, "You talk about incest."

Baako looks amazed at the blonde and nods. "That is what I am talking about." He shakes the surprise off and continues, "Katrina and Jane met secretly every time they had the chance, but one day Emmanuel and his guards followed his sister and caught her with Jane … um … Anyway, Emmanuel lugged his sister to the marketplace and blared that his sister is possessed by a demon, and pointed at Jane." He shakes his head and suddenly drags his hand over his throat. "And then he made Jane watch how he cut his own sister's throat. We tried to get to them but had no chance. Somehow you remind me -"

" **Baako**!"

Baako becomes pale and he looks in the direction of the voice.

Jane stands tall behind him with a dark but unreadable face. " **Enough**!"

He closes his eyes and drops his head to his chest.

Maura is well aware that she has overstepped a boundary by asking Baako about Jane and gets up, following Jane to an Mediterranean cypress. "Jane, it was my fault. Baako did not know that -"

" **I** **am** aware of that." The brunette growls but doesn't look at the other woman. "Each of them know that they are not allowed to talk about my life unless they think that I am okay with it." She pauses and clenches her fists. "We have rules, **I** have rules."

"You can't blame me for wanting to know more about the person that I entrust my life to." Maura replies a little louder and a little desperate.

"Then come and ask me."

"So you can dodge the question?"

Jane swirls around and her facial muscles twitch. "I never dodge questions."

"Yes, you do. All the time." Maura states without losing eye contact.

Jane furls angrily her brows and steps closer. "Stop it."

"Stop what?" Maura asks and frowns.

Jane swallows hard and steps closer. "Stop getting under my skin."

Maura scrutinize the taller woman's face and cups her cheek with her hand she frowns as Jane closes her eyes and leans into the touch. Somehow she can feel all the taller woman is really troubled and it breaks her heart.

Jane allows a single tear to escape from her eye and then she steps back with a bowed head. "You should go to your room now."

Maura inhales sharply and opens her mouth but not a word comes out of it. She hasn't expect that the brunette let else her walls completely.

"Jane," Caden says as he walks to the brunette and frowns as he senses the tense atmosphere. "Tadeo wend me so he can discuss a new route."

Jane keeps Maura's gaze as she backs away and bows her head. "I will be there in a minute."

"Jane," the blonde says and doesn't know why she sounds so desperate.

Jane turns away and starts to follow Caden. "Good night, Maura."


	7. Chapter 7

**Again, thank you for reading, following and reviewing. I don't know why but every time I start to write a new chapter of this story, I have to finish it at one go. Maybe I should stop playing March of Empires. Just kidding, it's not my inspiration. Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoined writing it.**

 **Have fun,**

 **T73.**

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It's the last day of Jane's and six men stay at Maura's place and since the evening Baako told the blonde a little bit about Jane's past, the brunette hasn't spoken to neither of them.

Baako is used to such a treatment, though, and doesn't make the attempt to go and try to speak to her because he knows pretty well that this only would compound the whole situation even more.

Maura has decided to follow his lead and approaches the man who is taking care of the horses before the group leaves. She starts to caress the forehead of the carriage horse that she has ridden a couple of days ago.

Baako licks his lips and takes a deep breath. "Have you picked a name for him," he asks to break the awkward silence.

Maura's pressing her lips together and let her eyes roam over the animal, then she frowns. "Somehow he reminds me of Apollo." She answers with a shrug when he finally looks at her. "He's a Greek deity. The God of music, poetry, art, medicine, sun, light and knowledge."

Baako nods slowly and smiles a little. "It's a strong name, it's a good name." He looks back at the horse and frowns. "Don't you think, Apollo?"

Apollo moves his head like he's nodding approvingly and Baako laughs.

Maura smiles for a brief moment but then she turns serious again. "Baako, I came here to apologize for causing all this trouble. I should not have -"

"It is not your fault, Maura." He cuts her off and shakes his head. "I know Jane for far longer than you are and knew that she would come unglued if someone talks behind her back about her past."

"So why did you do it then?"

"Because Jane needs someone else than us with whom she can talk about it. And unfortunately she's stubborn as a mule. It is a good thing that you keep your distance for now and don't try to push her."

"I just follow your lead." Maura states matter-of-factly.

Baako quirks an eyebrow and starts to walk out of the stable. "Good call." He replies smiling and she smiles back at him.

Jane is sitting at the stony bench in the same time and stares with a frown into nothing. She didn't get much sleep and her head is pounding. She has absolutely no idea how Maura contrive it to drive her crazy and how she manages it that she let her guard down completely in the same time. And she also has no idea why she's mainly thinking about the blonde since they met for the first time. It's not the first time that a woman occupies the brunette's mind, but normally Jane is able to put those feelings and thoughts into a small box, to lock it and to throw the key away. But the box with the confusing feelings of Maura is more like a Jack in the box. Every time she has closed it, it jumps open again. And each time it's harder for her to force those emotions back into the box.

She shudders and props her elbows up on her knees. Jane holds her breath and closes her eyes to sort her thoughts once again. She doesn't have the time for something like that. Her eyes shoot open when she feels the presence of someone right next to her and hopes that it's anyone but Maura. She turns her head and frowns deeply when she's looking into Caden's concerned face.

"Are you okay," he asks after he made sure that no one can hear them.

She nods slowly and tries to smile, but she knows that it must look more like a grimace. "I am."

"You barely have spoken for two days. The others are worried."

"No need to. I just need a little time for myself."

Caden is silent for a couple of seconds and then he sighs. "Baako told me what he has done. He just meant it well, Jane."

Jane scrutinizes him briefly and straightens her back. She knows that Baako is for him like the brother he never had. "You don't have to be Baako's advocate, Caden. He's staying with us if he wish so, and I think I can assume that it is what he wants."

"What about … Maura," he dares to ask.

Jane's body tenses up and she clenches her jaw. What about Maura? That's a good question. Does she really dare to risk Everyone's safety just because she keeps a woman around that distract her. She licks her lips and looks up at the blue sky. She asks herself if this is a sign because since Maura is with them it hasn't rained one time. She gets up to her feet and rubs her tired eyes. "What about her?"

Caden rolls his eyes and follows her. "Is she still coming with us."

Jane's face darkens and she grumbles. "I have not decided it yet."

"Of course you have not." The young man whispers to himself with a small smile.

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Jane stands on the court yard next to Amyntas and points at the two cargo wagons. "Put the victuals on this wagon and our equipment on the other one. And hurry, I want to leave before sunset."

"This must be enough for a whole month." Bear grunts as he carries a heavy sack to a wagon. "Besides the gammon, that's enough for me for one week."

Jane laughs with the others but turns serious when Maura approaches her. "Why are you just standing around?" She asks harshly.

Maura looks dumbfounded at the taller woman and swallows hard. "Because I want to bid goodbye to you when you leave and because I want to thank you for everything you have done for me."

Jane nods slowly and presses her lips together. She can feel the eyes of her friends on her and had to force herself not to yell at them. She has racked her brain what to do with Maura now. It would be the easiest solution to leave the blonde here and to never look back, but a nagging voice almost shouted at her that she can't allow it that Maura is going to be on the receiving end of her father's anger. "No," she growls and points at the house. "Get to your room and get rid of this damn dress."

"Excuse me," Maura asks confused and blushes violently.

The brunette realizes how this must have sound and furrows her brows. "I … That came out the wrong way. What I meant it that you are coming with us. I went through some closets and found stuff that is perfect for you. Perhaps you will not feel comfortable in them in the first place but you will get used to it."

Maura licks her lips and turns around to head towards the building, her face still red."

"You like the idea of Maura getting out of her dress." Bear roars with laughter and the other men joins him."

Jane rolls her eyes and gets a other sack in her hands. "Shut up."

"Not that one of us is minding that."

"I said, shut up." Jane says once more but this time with a smile.

"You still can follow her." Bear laughs and then he grunts as he lifts the weight on the wagon. "We can spare fifteen minutes."

She smiles cocky and quirks an eyebrow. "And now you are talking about yourself. **I** need more then fifteen minutes, my friend."

His laughter dies down instantly and Aegeus pats amused his back.

Jane turns around as soon as she hers a whistle and her smile dies as well when she sees Baako galloping towards them. She already know why he's in such a hurry and steps forward. "How far are they away?"

"Half a day's march." Baako pants and jumps down from his chestnut colored horse named Hafiz.

Jane steps closer and furls her eyebrows. "How strong is the army?"

Worry is mirrored in the scout's eyes and he frowns. "One hundred men strong. Swordsmen, horsemen and archers."

"Seems like Maura's father is really mad at us." Alastair states and frowns.

She agrees with a nod and is beyond glad that they are already good to leave. She looks to the building and starts to head towards it. "Hurry up, people. I go and get Maura I want us to be gone in an hour."

Neither of the men protests and continues their work a little faster. Either of them knows that they can defeat a force of thirty men, but not one hundred at the same time.

Jane almost sprints up the stairs and burst into the blonde's room without knocking.

Maura jumps and twists around. "Jane, you startled me."

"Maura, we have to go." Jane replies unceremoniously and frowns as she sees the disapproving look of the smaller woman. "What?"

"I can't leave like this."

"Why not."

Maura lowers her eyebrows and tilts her head to the side. "These are clothes for a man."

Jane has to suppress an amused smile and shrugs as she sees the blonde standing in a light brown line pants and a white line shirt. "Looks good on you, let's go."

The blonde crosses her arms over her chest and doesn't move an inch. "Why are you in such a hurry?"

 _And why do you have to discuss everything_ , Jane thinks to herself and steps closer. "Because a army of one hundred men are on their way here and I would like to be gone before they arrive."

Maura drops the silly discussion about her outfit and her eyes went huge. "My father."

"Exactly," the brunette agrees with a nod.

The other woman starts to walk towards the door. "Why didn't you say that in the first place?"

Jane scoffs, places her hands on the smaller woman's hips and starts to push her to the door. "Because you were busy with arguing about clothes. Now, march."

All of a sudden Maura plucks up all her courage and turns around once more. She holds Jane's confused gaze and steps closer. "There is always time for this."

"What are you ta -" Jane wants to ask and then her eyebrows shoot up high when she's silenced by a pair of lips that she was thinking about for a while now. First, she doesn't response at all but then she kisses the blonde back and pulls Maura closer at her hips.

Maura smiles into the kiss and wraps her arms around the taller woman's neck before she pulls away again. "Now we can go." She whispers and wiggles her eyebrows when she sees the confused look on Jane's face.

Jane finds out again how her limbs work and finally follows Maura out of the room. She isn't quite sure what just happened but she tells herself that she's going to find that out. They emerge from the main house and claps her hands to get the attention of the others. "All right, let's get up on the horses we have no time to waste."

Bear gets up on the back of his horse and whistles loud. Only a few seconds later a bark is to be heard and Eirik comes running around the corner.

Jane chuckles and spurs Amyntas so they can leave before the threat comes too close.

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Maura sits a little offside from the bivouac and thinks about Maura, the kiss and the men who are following them because of the blonde. She is sure that those men have the order to slaughter them and to bring Maura to her father. She's also sure that the old man craves for revenge. She sighs heavily and looks up when a steaming bowl appears in front of her eyes. She takes it and reeks with a smile when Maura shifts her weight from one foot to the other. "You make this?"

"I did." The other woman answers and sits down across from the brunette.

"Smells better then Bear's stew." She raises her brows as she takes the first bite. "Tastes better than Bear's stew."

"I heard that." The tall man calls over his shoulder.

Jane chuckles and raises the bowl a little. "Thank you."

Maura starts to eat as well and frowns a little. "What are you thinking about?"

The brunette swallows the food and takes a deep breath. "Oh, I am thinking about a lot of things. I am thinking about the marching army of your father, I wonder if it was a mistake to send Macario away, I wonder how much time we gained with our early departure and I am thinking about you, me and our kiss."

Maura drops her eyes to her own bowl to avoid intensive brown ones and stirs in it. "I have no idea why I did it. I only can apologize for that."

"No, you don't have to apologize, Maura." Jane says and wonders where that came from. She groans and runs her left hand over her face. "I mean, I like you, a lot. But I cannot offer you the life that you deserve and every single time I am out here, I do not know if I will be alive the next morning, let alone coming back to the place where you are. You deserve so much better. I am not really a friendly person, and sometimes also flakey."

Maura laughs humorlessly and sets her bowl aside. "In the time I got to know you I learned that you are a lot of things, but you are not flakey. Sometimes you are rude, erratic and sometimes you obnoxious. No one knows what will happen the next morning, Jane. And yes, I like you too and I think that I am old enough to decide for myself what I am willed to risk. Maybe you are going to break my heart, maybe I will break your. But we will not know if we don't give it a try. If you need time to think about it, I will give it to you." She gets up and is about to leave Jane for the rest of the night alone.

Jane blinks a couple of times as the words sink in and frowns deeply. She knows that she's gonna regret this decision at some point but grabs Maura at her wrist. She looks up and her eyes soften. "Please sit with me."

Maura looks long at the other woman before she does as Jane asks. She sits down close to the brunette and after a moment she dares to put her head on Jane's shoulder.

Jane doesn't mind that at all but furrows her brows as warmth spreads through she chest. "You are a lot like Katrina, the woman Baako told you about." She says softly and looks down at the smaller woman when she remains silent, and entwine their hands with a sigh. "She wanted to escape from her life too. She wanted to flee from her brother, who wanted to be more than just her brother."

Maura doesn't say that she already knows that part and nods. "How did you got to know her?"

Jane is silent for a moment and then she furrows her brows. "Thanks to Macario Emmanuel hired us to escort goods from the harbor to Black Hollows. Things like spicery, tea, coffee, silk, gold and silver. Things like that. We stayed for two months in Black Hollows and every now and then Katrina's and my ways crossed. We stared to talk and she wanted to know how it is to live a life in freedom. She wanted to know everything, wanted to hear all the stories I had to tell. So we started to meet every afternoon of evening in a tavern and I told her about … my adventures." She pauses and shakes her head, dragging her teeth over her bottom lip. "I should have know that Emmanuel get suspicious with time and that he would send a spy after us, but I became careless and did not keep an eye on our surroundings. One night we were kissing in a dark alley when his guards came to us and caught us of the guard. I tried to fight them, but they were too many. They separated us and threw me into the dungeon. I barely got food or water in five days. I have no idea how I got through it." She clenches her jaw and squeezes Maura's hand tightly. "Every hour the jailer came to me and wanted me to confess that I am handyman of Lucifer, that I am a demon who seduces Virgins. I never did so and one day I was dragged to the marketplace where Emmanuel was about to set a warning example. I was forced down on my knees and a guard held a knife down so I was forced to watch how Emmanuel cut his own sister's throat."

"Why didn't the others try to help you?"

"Because they know that their safety is above else for me. Because they knew I would not approve the attempt to free me. After I had to watch once more someone dying I cared about took my desire to live. I barely ate and barely drank. The only thing I wanted to do was to lay down and die."

Maura has noticed that the brunette has said that she had to watch nice again someone to die that she cared about but decides that she won't ask for now what that means. Instead she asks, "And how did you get out of the dungeon?"

Jane shrugs and takes a deep breath. "One day Emmanuel's mother came back to Black Hollows. I think to make sure that it was true that he had executed his own sister and a lot more innocent people. I think I was just lucky when she released all of us. I dragged myself back to the place where I knew Aegeus, Baako and Bear are staying and then they nursed me back to health."

"Is that why you are trying to avoid Black Hollows? Because of the memories?" Maura asks and looks up.

Jane meets hazel eyes and takes her time with the answer, "This is not the reason. If I go back to that place I know that I will look for Emmanuel so I can torture and kill him the same way he once did. And I know that I would not regret it."

Maura has to swallow hard. "You loved her."

Jane frowns deeply. "I cared about Katrina as much as I care about you." She counter and starts to caress the blonde's cheek. "If something happens to you, I am going to look for that person who hurt you and take their life. Even if I have to fight a thousand men."

Maura looms deep into brown eyes and sees that the brunette means every single word. She isn't sure if she should feel flattered or should be worried about it. The only thing she can do now is to lean her forehead against the brunette's and to close her eyes.


	8. Chapter 8

Jane groans and furls her eyebrows when someone starts to shake her at her shoulder but then she is beyond confused because someone is laying close to her. She opens her eyes and wants to yell at Maura to take space, but then she remembers what happened earlier that night and her body relaxes again. She looks up just to look into the worried faces of Alastair and Caden.

"We have to speak with you." Alastair whispers so he won't wake Maura or anyone else up.

The brunette furrows her eyebrows. "Now?"

"Yes," Caden agrees also in a whisper.

Jane sighs and starts to entangle her body from Maura's and is glad that the two men doesn't comment the situation. She makes a face when the smaller woman stirs a little and then she gets up to her feet. She follows the two men who walks away from the others while she's stretching her limbs. She takes a deep breath and looks questioningly at them. "What is so important to wake me?"

Alastair looks at Caden and wiggles his brows.

"I was watching Maura's mansion to see if the army really stops there to bait, like you said." Caden says and steps a little closer. "There was nothing unusual, they were looking if the surroundings were safe before they built up their camp."

Jane is waiting for the shocking news and folds impatiently her arms. "We knew that they would do that. I still do not understand why you wake me for that."

Caden doesn't say anything right away and glances briefly at the taller man. "I stayed close to see how they are preparing and to see if I can make out a weak spot. But then Macario appeared and showed the soldiers around."

Jane's heart stops and she unfolds her arms again. She knew that he wouldn't need long to betray them. She did Maura put before him and this is his kind of revenge. Still she needs to ask this, "Are you sure?"

The man nods approvingly and points at his eyes. "I saw him with my own eyes, Jane. He walked around like he owns the place."

She starts to chew on the inside of her cheek and furrows her eyebrows. "Well, they are going to be surprised to find the pantries nearly empty."

Alastair shifts his weight from one foot to the other and frowns. "Do you really think it is safe to stay so close?"

The brunette nods slowly and licks her lips. "It is the perfect cover, Alastair. Macario cannot know when we departed and a group of eight would be quite salient. We stay in the background and let them pass us, so we have a little chance."

He nods as well and runs an hand over his beard. "We can not go to Armagh if they head in the same direction."

Caden and Jane look at it other and say in unison, "Veritas." They chuckle and Alastair rolls his eyes with a smile.

Jane still smiles and looks in the direction of the sleeping group. "It is settled then. We are going to Veritas. If nothing has changed, Macario will go to the creek that is on Maura's property."

"You are going to ambush him," Alastair asks and is the one who folds his arms now.

Jane nods once again and the compunction is even in the darkness of the name night clearly visible. "I will." She says and comes to a conclusion. She will hear how Macario will justify his betrayal before she decides to take his life or not. But for now she just wants to lay back down next to Maura and get some rest before reality takes her back.

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The brunette saddles her favorite fellow and pats Amyntas' shoulder when he disapproving shakes his head. She smiles a little and furrows her brows. "Standing in a stable for so long did not do you any good, huh?"

The horse looks at her like he's trying to ask her if she's crazy and that he wants to go back to the said stable and stay even longer.

She chuckles and sighs. "Or not. You deserved the rest, my friend." She looks down at her feet and frowns when she spots Eirik sitting in front of her. "And what can I do for you?"

"You can tell me where Caden Aegeus and you are going." Bear states as he comes out of nowhere. His face is beyond serious right now. "And you can tell me why I am not going with you."

She places an hand on his shoulder and starts to walk towards the wagon that holds their equipment. "Because I need you here, Bear. If we are not back at noon, you lead the others to Veritas."

"Veritas," he replies and can't hide his surprise. "But in Veritas is Claudia."

"And in Lybster lives Susanna, no difference."

"Jane, what is going on?"

The brunette gets a longbow and a quiver from the wagon and checks both items. "We are paying an old friend a visit." She states and tilts her head to the side when the blonde approaches them. She holds an hand up as Maura opens her mouth and says, "No, you can not come with us. We are not going out for the hunt."

Maura slows her steps and blinks a couple of times. "How did you -"

Jane smiles wryly, shoves the items into Bear's hand and steps closer. "You are staying with Bear, Baako, Alastair and Tadeo. We are heading to a town named Veritas when I am back. Go and talk to Tadeo about the place, I'm sure that he can tell a couple of nice stories."

Maura takes a deep breath and nods. "And what are you doing?"

Jane slings bow and quiver over her shoulders and approaches Amyntas. "I take care of something. I will be back in a bit." She answers and get up on the back of the horse. "And don't believe everything they tell you about a woman named Claudia."

Maura opens her mouth to ask who Claudia is but Jane already rides off with Aegeus and Caden.

Bear puts an hand over his mouth so he can hide the amused smirk quite well.

Maura turns to him and crosses with an serious expression at him and crosses her arms. "Who is Claudia."

He grunts and points at points in the direction of Tadeo. "Let's join Tadeo, he will be pleased to tell you about Claudia."

She huffs annoyed and lifts her chin before she heads towards the said man.

In the same time, Jane rides away from their camp and let Amyntas decide for the pace which means full speed. She knows that he likes and need it because she also likes it, and she also need it. She can feel anger coiling in the pit of her stomach and she can guarantee that she's going to kill Macario, he gives her no other choice. She thinks that this would have been the right decision in the first place but she also wanted to believe that not everyone is a perfidious snake. At least she knows where she's going to find Macario before everything's getting worse. She knows that she should slow down Amyntas so the two men can keep up with them, but she wants to be the first who gets her hands on Macario.

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Macario is standing at the shore of the creek and is about to pull his shirt over his head as a arrow drives into the ground only inches away from his feet. He stops dead and stares in disbelieve at the projectile. He got to know that some of the soldiers have a strange kind of humor,

"I am still wondering what part of your body will be hit with the next arrow." Jane says as she stands with a taut bow a couple yards away from the man. "Head or leg. I can't decide."

Macario closes his eyes and drops his arms to his sides. "I should have known that you are not too far away from the mansion."

Jane doesn't lower the longbow and sets her jaw. "You also should have known that I meant every single word I said. Align with someone who wants us dead and you will be the one who is going to day at the end of the day."

His shoulders slump and he turns with a smug smile to her. "I am not afraid of you anymore, Jane. I have a army behind me."

"Perhaps you are still afraid of me." Aegeus almost growls as he steps out of the underwood.

Caden jumps down from a tree without hesitation and straightens up slowly. "Or also me."

The smile vanishes from Macario's lips and he went pale.

Now, Jane lowers the bow and is the one who smiles cheeky. "You didn't think I would come here without backup, did you?" She furls her brows and shakes her head. "Why, Macario? I gave you the chance to make the right call. I gave you food and money and you decided to stab me from behind."

"Because you put a woman before me though you only knew her for a couple of days."

"I treated each of you equally."

"Nonsense," he yells at top of his lungs and birds flying up the sky. "You acted like she's the only one who is existing. You didn't even look at us anymore. You didn't look at me anymore."

Jane starts to understand and furrows her eyebrows. "You do this because you are jealous of Maura?"

He holds his hands up and smiles at her. "Let us hand Maura over to her father and then everything can head back to normal."

She looks long at him and raises the bow again as he steps a little closer. "Do you really believe that I will trust you ever again after all of this?"

Macario shrugs. "It was just a real test of our … friendship. We can get over - " He grunts and stumbles back when he feels an impact. He blinks a couple of times before he looks at the arrow that drove into his left shoulder. He glances confused at the brunette and tries to pull the projectile out.

Jane isn't quite sure why she didn't hit him in the middle of his chest, but then she realizes that her hands are shaking and that it explains a lot. The thought of him betraying her just because he's jealous of someone made her do this, and the knowledge that she'd chose Maura instead of him. "Why did you make me do this?" She yells and forces the tears in her eyes back. "You were like my brother!"

Macario feels a searing pain in his side that takes his breath away and he turns his head to look into Caden's face. The air escapes from his lungs when the smaller man twists the dagger and he blinks.

Caden holds him as Macario sinks down to his knees and frowns deeply. "I'm sorry, brother."

Jane closes her eyes and clenches her jaw. She is aware of the fact that she wanted to take his life, but actually doing so is different for her. It's not like she never had taken lives but this time it's harder. She takes a deep breath and approaches the dying man. "Give us time alone." She orders without looking at the other men.

Aegeus frowns but nods before he leaves with Caden.

Jane kneels down next to Macario and takes his hand in her own, frowning. "You had a choice, brother. Why did you make me do this?" She knows that he can't really answer and sighs. "So many options and you chose the wrong one. Macario, I am so sorry."

Macario smiles before his eyes drop shut and his lungs releases the final breath.

Jane drops her chin to the chest and closes her eyes when Macario's hand went limp. She sits at his site and her body starts to shake though she suppresses the sobs and tears. She places an hand on his chest a tells herself that now he's at a better place. She wipes the single tear off her cheek and gets up to her feet, walking away without looking back.


	9. Chapter 9

Jane's sitting at a wooden table in a tavern of Veritas and stares into the sparkling fire in the fireplace. Four days has passed since the very last encounter with Macario and still the bad feeling haven't left her. She's not quite sure why her conscience is screaming at her those days, that's why she tells herself that it has to do with the fact that she had taken the life of a man she'd called a friend for more than three years, and yet he didn't give her much of a choice. Still, something's bothering her.

The moment Macario died, he had a smile on his lips when he took his last breath and she had thought that it was because he died by the hand of a friend, but now she starts to doubt it the more she recalls the moment. She now knows that he was a sneak, an opportunist. And only God knows how many times Macario had betrayed them for some extra money. God knows how many trouble he had caused them. And still she has to think about him.

"You should get some rest."

"And sometimes you should mind your own business."

"And leave you alone?"

"That's the idea behind it." Jane growls and turns her head to the right so she can look into hazel eyes.

Maura doesn't step back. On the contrary, she sits down on the opposite of the table. She still isn't scared of the brunette and raises her eyebrows. She licks her lips and tries to read Jane, which is a lot harder than she's used to. "The decision to kill Macario bothers you."

"No, I'm celebrating his death." Jane growls and takes a large sip from her beer. "We had been riding side by side for three years and he saved my life every now and then. And taking his life is how I pay it back to him."

Maura can feel that the brunette has pulled her defensive walls back up and isn't offended by that and leans forward. "You told me that you have rules, and if I remember right, betrayal wasn't one of them."

Jane keeps the blonde's gaze but her face darkens. "Don't you dare talking to me like we know each other for years. Don't you dare talking about the rules like you lived them for years. You have -"

"Look at what the cat drug in," says a familiar voice and the brunette closes her eyes. "I'm gone for a week and the parasites came back."

Maura once again can't hide her confusion.

Jane takes a deep breath and gets up to her feet. She turns to face the redhead that smiles smugly. "Susanne."

"Jane," the redhead replies and quirks an eyebrow. "I thought I made myself clear when I said that you nor your men are welcome here anymore."

Jane laughed half-heartedly and shrugs. "You did, but that doesn't mean that we can't visit our old friend Ben." She smiles wryly and holds an hand up. "Don't go hard on him, you know how much he loves rum."

Susanne rolls her eyes and walks straight behind the counter, eyeing Maura suspiciously. "What brought you here, Jane?" She pauses and purse her lips. "Let me guess, it has to do with this innocent woman."

"Not so innocent." Maura mumbles.

Jane decides to ignore the comment and steps forward. "We need a shelter for a couple of days."

The redhead folds her arms and quirks an eyebrow. "I do not owe you anything anymore."

Jane is beyond serious now and gets up to her feet. "I am well aware of that, Susanne. And even if you would owe me a favor. On the contrary, I owe you more than one. If it would not be serious I would not stand here and ask for your help." She gives the other woman the chance to take her words in and frowns. "Are you going to help us?"

Susanne looks long at the brunette and can tell that Jane means every single word she'd said and unfortunately she's barely able to turn her down. She rolls her eyes and sits down next to Maura. "What do you need?"

Jane sits down as well and starts to explain everything. Why they were supposed to bring Maura back to her father, that the blonde told her about her situation and that she felt like an imprisoned person, that Jane decided to help Maura gain infinitely independence and she had to sent Macario away and that they had to take his life because he became a risk factor for all of them.

Susanne listens attentively and nods every now and then with a frown. "I heard about Macario's … sudden demise." She states and wiggles her eyebrows. "I also heard about the man he was serving."

Jane looks briefly at a very silent Maura and leans a little bit forward. "What can you tell me about his constituent?"

"Not constituent." Susanne replies and looks worriedly at the brunette. "Macario's brother. After Macario was found dead, his brother hollered that you are going to pay for this. Firstly, taking away his fiancée and now his brother's life. He ordered his men to get you alive so he can take care of you himself."

Jane looks dumbfounded at the redhead and can feel the anger bubbling up. She finds Maura's eyes and furls her eyebrows. "Did you know about this? Did you know that you were supposed to get married to Macario's brother?"

Maura's eyes are wide and she shakes her head. "I did not know that."

Jane can't control her anger anymore and jumps up to her feet, not caring that she knocked her chair over. "You better tell me the truth, Maura!"

The blonde gets up as well and blocks the brunette's way. "Jane, I tell you the truth. All I knew was that he sent me a letter in which he ordered me to come back home, that was a couple days before you showed up. The letter said that it is my commission to strengthen the ties with his trade partner in the south. That this said trade partner has a son I was supposed to marry. I never met this man. South meant for me the south of this country and not from Italy. And even though I would have know that, how was I supposed to know that Macario wad his brother?"

Jane's still not quite convinced and points at Bear. "And you! Did you know that Macario had a brother?"

The tall man holds her gaze and shakes his head. "I had no idea about that."

"I knew about Macario's brother." Tadeo says all of a sudden and steps away from the bar counter, and the room becomes deadly silent. "He once told me about his brother, but claimed that he died in a fire when Macario was a child, that's why I never mentioned it. It wasn't important to me. I'm sorry, Jane. I should have come to you and tell you about it, maybe we wouldn't be in such a situation yet."

Jane is tempted to agree with him, but then she shuts her mouth again. She realizes that everything starts to make sense now. For three years Macario had accompanied them and for three years they had nothing but trouble. She once had wondered who tipped Emmanuel off that she and Claudia weren't just friends and that Claudia didn't just showed her around in the city. And Jane also wondered why Macario lost so easily his temper and why passed off so many former allies. **To cut loose your ties, your fool** , the voice in the back of her head yells at her. Normally it is just a warning whisper that keeps her alerted, now it hollers at her. **Now, you have to find out why**!

She blinks a couple of times and furrows her eyebrows. Now she starts to understand why Macario insisted to take the job that Maura's father offered.

"That bastard took all of us for a fool for three years." Baako growls and gets up to his feet. "Because of him we lost allies." He pauses and straightens up when the room remains silent. "If neither of you dares to say it out loud, I will. I never really trusted Macario. No matter where we gone, he caused trouble. And he was the one who insisted to take the damn job, because he knew that Jane had s weakness for people in distress, especially women. Now we are chased by one hundred soldiers -"

"What are you saying?" Bear growls and gets up from his chair, stepping closer to Baako.

"That you and Jane should not have taken the job just because Macario said it is a quite easy way to get enough money for the next two months."

"So, you didn't want to have money in your belly and sleep in a comfortable bed?"

"All of us said that you have to consider this with caution, no?"

"Then we would be on the brink of starvation, that often you say that."

" **Enough**!" Jane finally barks and steps in the middle of the room. "Enough! Both of you are right." She closes her eyes for a moment and shakes her head. "And I am the one who put us in this situation. I made a mistake, this is on me. If you want to blame someone then blame me, all right. But what the two of you are doing is exactly what Macario wanted, that we fall out with each other."

"But why," Alastair asks calmly and hunch his shoulders.

The brunette holds his gaze and sighs. "That is what we need to find out. I can only speak for myself but I trust each of you with my life. **You** are my family, **you** are my brothers. I would die for each of you, but if you don't feel safe with me anymore, or don't trust my judgment anymore, you are free to go wherever you want to. I will not judge that. Neither of you owe me anything, I, on the other hand, owe each of you more than I can pay back in my life time. You stood at my side without questioning me, you fought at my side without thinking of yourself, you trusted me without asking a question. How can I pay that ever back? I cannot. So, rest for the night and tell me your decision tomorrow in the morning." She swallows hard and starts to head out of the room. "If you excuse me for now."

Neither of the men says a word but stares straight ahead.

Maura looks at each of them and huffs before she hurries after the brunette even though she knows better. She's surprised that none of them protests and even wouldn't care about it. Though she knows Jane for only a short time, she'd entrust her very own life to Jane all over again without thinking twice. She finds Jane sitting on a seduced bench and places her hands on her hips. "So that's it? You are giving up?"

Jane has her elbows propped up on her knees and stares into nothing with a frown. "I'm not really in the talking mood, Maura. You better go back to the tavern."

"No," the other woman replies harshly and Jane's eyes finally snap up. "No, I do not allow that you shut me out once more, Jane. Or that you ride off before dawn and face Macario's brother alone so you can sacrifice yourself for the welfare of the others."

"Excuse me," Jane asks a little baffled and furrows her brows. She wonders if she had spoken loudly to herself while Baako and Bear had been arguing. Otherwise, she can't explain how the smaller woman knows about her intention.

Maura hates the fact that she had been right in that. She hates that she saw right through Jane, who is willed to go and face a man who most likely is willing to killer her without hesitance. "I will not allow that you go and get yourself killed only in the hope to keep us safe because I -"

"You do not know what you are talking about." Jane replies when Maura trails off. "I rather face the threat alone than to venture your lives. I am replaceable, Maura."

"No, you are not." Maura hisses and steps closer as soon as the brunette gets up from the bench. "Not for me, Jane."

"Don't," Jane mumbles and breaks the eye contact.

Maura brushes the taller woman's hand with her fingers before she dares to take it into her own. She raises them and places Jane's hand over her heart. "You turned my life upside down, Jane, for the better. You will never be replaceable for me because I … love you."

Jane tenses up and closes her eyes. "Maura -"

"Sometimes you know in the first moment." The blonde cuts Jane off and brushes the taller woman's lips with her own. She worries because the brunette doesn't react in the first place but moans a little when Jane starts to kiss her passionately back.

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Jane comes down the stairs that leads to the seating area and slows her steps as soon as she spots Alastair, Baako, Tadeo, Caden and Aegeus. She swallows hard because she can't see Bear around. The last night happened too much at the same time, but she's glad that nothing too serious had happened between her and Maura. Well, they talked every now and then and felt asleep next to each other, but nothing that she couldn't handle. She presses her lips together and flops down next to Aegeus. "You sure that you want to stay?"

Caden chews scornfully on his food and nods slowly. "I rather die by a sword than food poisoning." He mumbles and the others chuckle amused.

Susanne slaps the back of his head and puts a bowl with oatmeal gruel in front of Jane down. "Don't be so ingrateful."

Jane smiles but also frowns. "Where is Bear?" She prepares for a stabbing pain in her heart but decided to act like she isn't surprised by the answer.

Aegeus wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and nods at the front door. "Took his horse and a wagon to get the rest of our equipment from Stephen."

Jane can't hide her surprise and looks confused at Susanne. "Your brother kept our stuff?"

"Had the feeling that you will come back and need some help." The redhead replies with a smile and a wink.

Jane rolls her eyes but is relieved in the same time. "Susanne, can you do me a favor?"

"Deepens on the coins you give me." Susanne replies and raises her eyebrows.

Jane swallows the food and smiles a little. "This shall not be a problem."

Susanne turns the corners of her mouth downward and shifts her weight from one foot to the other. "I am all ears."

Jane takes a deep breath and eyes her breakfast skeptically. "Maura needs a custom design. Take her to your brother as soon as she has eaten."

Baako looks questioningly at the brunette and frowns. "Why does Maura need an armor? She hardly can handle a dagger."

"She won't take place in our campaigns." Jane replies and turns her body to look back at him. "But I want that everyone takes her serious and I want to be on the safe side this time. No fooling around anymore." She looks seriously at the innkeeper and tilts her head to the side. "You and your brother always had been trustworthy, I hope that hasn't changed."

Susanne smiles slyly and wiggles her brows. "She will be safe with us. Any special wishes for the armor?"

"Keep it simple, but also my heraldry, **out** heraldry."

Susanne chuckles and nods once to signal that she understood.

Jane leans a little forward and points at Caden, and then at Baako. "The two of you recon the host of Macario's brother. I want to know everything about them and their commander. Pretend that you are local farmers who are supporting them with supplies, and play it well."

"Not a problem." Caden says and a smile plays on his lips.

Jane places an hand on Aegeus' arm and frowns. "You practice hand-to-hand combat with Maura." Now she looks at Alastair. "And you teach her in swordplay."

"What about you?" Tadeo dares to ask with a frown.

Jane drops her eyes for a moment to the table before she looks at him. "I will practice with Bear, it will do me good. Meanwhile **you** will hatch a plot because you are our strategist."

"So we are back?" Bear's voice echoes through the room.

Jane turns in her seat and smiles conspicuously at him. "We are!"


	10. Chapter 10

**I just want to than you all. I it's a short chapter, but hope you still enjoy it.**

 **T73.**

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Jane walks slowly along the small path that leads from the tavern to a small, secluded wood. She looks up at the blue sky and scrunch her nose. Since the days are beyond warm and the nights are freezing cold, that's why all of them are grateful that Susanne agreed to let them stay as long as it is necessary, and that the redhead and her brother are helping them in any way they can even though Susanne and Jane didn't part on the best terms. But it seems like Susanne is aware of the fact that this is past and that this isn't the best season of the year for being hunted by a one hundred men strong army. Four weeks ago, she had made the decision to stay in Veritas and to face the threat. For four weeks she's sitting in the dining hall of Susanne's tavern and mulls over new tactics, offensive strategies and moments of surprise. And every now and then she's sitting with the guys and have a brainstorming. And for now their strategy is working out for them quite well. Sneaking undetected into the camp of the enemy and thin them out bit by bit.

Though this strategy is immensely effective, it demand a great deal of all of them. Neither of them aren't used to such combative tactic anymore and that's what you can see in each face. Every time Jane takes a break from catching the enemy napping, Aegeus or Alastair inform her about Maura's training process and tell her that the blonde is a fast learner. Jane, of course, wanted to see it herself and asked the Maura for a hand-to-hand combat and told the smaller woman not to hold back. That's what she'd regret at the end of the day. She ended up with a shiner and the guys celebrated Maura for that which made Maura even more proud. Now, Jane knows that the once so innocent blonde can defend herself when the chips are down.

Of course had the men of Macario's brother tried to find out where they had, without much success. And even when one of them tracked Jane down, one of her friends head them off so their hidden headquarter would stay hidden.

Jane rolls her shoulders and groans loudly. _I'm getting old_ , she thinks and furrows her eyebrows as the thought crosses her mind. Of course had they tried to find out who the man behind all of this is, without much success too. Either the man hidden just as well as them or he sits somewhere else and enjoys his life while his soldiers risk their lives. _Psychological warfare_. She rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "But you are not at war." _Yes, you are, fool_. "Shut up."

"With whom are you talking?" A voice brings her out of her own world.

Jane stops dead and her eyes grow huge. She clears her throat and turns her back at Maura who is in the pond that she has forgotten about. "No one." She croaks. _Turn around_. "Just myself." _Take a look_. "I was just … wandering around to … clear my head. I did not know that you would be here too."

"I asked Susanne if she knows a way to cool off a little and she proposed this pond to me." Maura chuckles amused because she has never seen the brunette so flustered. "I thought that you would discuss the course of the day with the others before you do anything else."

 _Cooling off, that's a good idea. Take off your clothes and -_ Jane clears her throat a little too loud so she interrupts the voice in her head before it can finish the sentence. She's beyond glad that the blonde can't see the blush right now. "Yes, no. I rather discuss it with myself before I do that."

"Jane, you can turn around," Maura says laughingly and shrugs. "I am sure that I will not be the first naked woman that you have seen naked."

The brunette raises her eyebrows high and clench her jaw. _See, she told you to take a look at her. Now,_ _ **do**_ _ **it**_ _, coward_! She finally turns around with a sigh and her eyes are fixed on a small rock nearby the pond. She walks to it, sits down and keeps her eyes above Maura's head. "There you go." She mumbles.

Marfa closes her eyes with a broad smile and studies the brunette's face. "Something else is bothering you."

Jane welcomes the fact that Maura doesn't ask any questions about the other women in her previous life and nods slowly without dropping her gaze to any inappropriate places. "Actually there is something that is really bothering me."

"Do you want to tell me?"

"I doubt it that Macario knew that you are supposed to marry his brother already three years ago. Why did he take us for a fool back then? Why did he infiltrate exactly this solidarity? Why infiltrating the solidarity that I have founded?"

"Economic aspects," Maura suggests and turns the corners of her mouth downward.

Jane huffs and waves the idea off. "We had a couple of trade arrangements with a few farmers and communes, but nothing that would jeopardize a family business. And I already had disagreements with municipalities, but neither of them sent hundred men after us." She pauses and sighs. "This feels different, Maura. This feels personal. And not just because of you or Macario."

Maura sighs heavily and starts to move towards the small shore. "Why would Macario's brother be after you?"

Jane drops her chin to her chest and runs an hand over her face. "I really don't know, Maura. I tried to recall the memory of our stay at Macario's place. I tried to figure out if I behaved inappropriate in that time, but all we did was business. Well, besides taking Macario with us. And the more I think about it I start to believe that I miss something, that I am too focused on him." She flinches as soon as she feels an cold hand on her cheek and her eyes snap up to Maura's. She immediately wonders how she could miss that the blonde got out of the water and sneak up to her. She forces her eyes to stay fixed and frowns.

Maura smiles softly down at her and furrows her brows. "Perhaps you need a little distraction before you can see clearly."

The brunette blinks a couple of times, swallowing hard. "Oh, I am fairly distracted right now."

Maura bends over a little and her eyes drops to the brunette's lips. "Well, let me take your mind off, then."

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"I'm sick of this hide and seek." Aegeus growls and flops down on the bench next to Baako. "Once we went in and killed them all at once. "

Susanne almost drops the plate with food in front of him. "Oh, you had to face hundred men with only six men already?" She growls back and quirks an eyebrow.

He glares at her but doesn't answer the question.

"I thought so."

"And when exactly did take Jane's side," Alastair asks skeptically.

"The day she walked in here with you fools." Susanne replies and refills Caden's water. "Just because Jane and I had issues, it does not mean that I want one of you to die. Now, stop whining and eat."

Alastair does as he's told and starts to eat. "Yes, Mother."

The redhead quirks an eyebrow once again and turns slowly her head to him. "Say that again."

"I rather not," he mumbles, ducks his head and the others start to laugh.

Each of them knows that Susanne is just hot-blooded like Jane and that that the two women could never work out.

"Though I can understand Jane," Susanne says and walks behind the counter. "What you and your opponent are doing is to play cat and mouse with each other. I prefer to see you coming back alive and in one piece then to take care of your funeral."

"We love you too, Susie." Caden replies with a wink..

She rolls her eyes and sits down at the head of the table. "I hope that each of you know that Jane wanted to sacrifice herself just to keep you safe. And neither of you tried to hold her back from that plan, besides Maura." She says and the room falls silent. "I thank **heaven** for Maura being with you and that she talks sense into Jane. Jane and I may not parted on the best terms, but that doesn't mean that I do not care for all of you. Just because of you Stephen and I are still safe and sound. So, shame on you. Shame on you for complaining that Jane tries to keep you alive as well."

Neither of the men says a word because they know that the woman is right. All of them owe their lives to the brunette and they have sworn to pay that back until their dying breath.

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Jane is about to pull her shirt over the head as she feels eager lips on her neck, and smiles. "You are indeed not such a innocent woman."

Maura hums against the brunette's skin and smiles. "Just because my father wanted to marry me off against my will, it does not mean that I am inexperienced."

Jane chuckles but then a moan escapes from her throat as the blonde sucks on her neck. She's glad that she doesn't have to explain where the scars on her body came from in every detail and that Maura really managed somehow that she's only focused on the blonde and nothing else. That the blonde managed that she really felt nothing but love. Not the kind of love she receives from the guys. The kind of love she never experienced. She catch herself as she wish that this moment doesn't have to stop. She takes a deep breath and looks at Maura. "We have to stop."

"Why?" Maura whispers with a worried expression.

"Because if we do not, I am afraid that I will break your heart and that's what I intend not to." Jane whispers against the blonde's lips before she closes the last gap.

Maura pulls away and takes all of the brunette's face in, tracing Jane's bottom lip with her thumb. "I love you too."

The corners of Jane's mouth twitch and she kisses Maura once more, this time sweet and gentle.

Maura buries her face in the taller woman's crook of the neck and places an hand over Jane's heart. A smile starts to play on her lips and she closes her eyes to take the moment in and to lock it away because she knows that this is going to be rare. _Just hold me for a little longer_ , she thinks and forces the tears back.

Jane turns her eyes up to the sky and frowns, wondering why all of this has to happen now, and why she had caught the job that's going to cause a lot of pain. "I love you, Maura." She whispers and is sure that the blonde didn't hear it because there is no reply.

Maura closes her eyes and forces the tears in her eyes back as soon as she hears the words.

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"Where the mischief have you been," Bear asks louder and jumps up to his feet as soon as the door to the tavern opens.

Jane tucks her chin in and smiles amused. "I am sorry, Father. I did not mean to be late for -" She pauses and hunch her shoulders. "For what am I exactly late?"

"Council," Aegeus says unceremoniously.

She groans and her shoulders slump. "Really?"

Baako points at the chair on the top of the table's head. "Sit."

Jane rolls her eyes and does do. "I feel like I will get grounded."

"Shut your trap and listen." Caden says firmly.

" **Really**?" Jane whines as Susanne steps forward and presses her lips together when she ears several glares.

Susanne smiles broadly and sits down next to the brunette. "I might know someone who can help you."

"Keep talking."

"That someone is in Tergaron."

Jane hisses and leans back like she got burned.

Susanne scowls at her and punches Jane's shoulder hard. "All of us have to face our demons, Jane. Get a hold of yourself. There you might find new information."

Jane sighs resigned and nods. "All right, when do I meet this contact of yours?"

"Tomorrow at noon," Susanne answers and gets up. "And you better bring Maura. And dress nicely."

" **Oh**!" Jane whines once more and raises an hand. "A pint please."

Susanne smiles and does as requested. "You can handle it."

"What's the name?"

"Enrico."

Jane makes a pouty face and looks at Maura. "That's going to be funny." She can see the questioningly gaze and takes a swig from the mug. "Don't ask."

"No," laughs a amused and shrugs as the blonde looks at him. "Don't ask."

Jane groans and buries her face in her hands.


	11. Chapter 11

Maura has to smile while she keeps her eyes on Jane, who is uncomfortably fidgeting in the seat of the quite nice carriage that brings them to Susanne's source of information. She can tell that the brunette isn't used to wear a navy blue frockcoat with collar, cuffs and skirts embroidered with cream silk 'point Beauvais' garlands of pearls and flowers and embroidered buttons. She licks her lips and looks out of the small window to hide her amused smile. She's still amazed what kind of things Susanne stored for Jane and is quite sure that what the two women had had wasn't only a short liaison, but as long as they keep their distance she doesn't mind it at all. She rolls her eyes when the fidgeting gets worse but doesn't look at the usual so confident brunette. "Would you stop that, please."

Jane's face darkens and she tugs on the sleeves. "What?" She grumbles and growls at the coat.

The blonde, who is used to meet important representative of cities, slowly looks at the taller woman and furrows her eyebrows. "Would you please stop to fidget. The first impression is the most important one."

Jane makes a face at Maura and sticks her tongue out as the blonde scowls at her. She smiles to herself and folds her arms.

The obviously still accomplished lady huffs before she takes a deep breath, patting the seat next to her and the other woman complies instantly. "I know that this must be strange to you, Jane, but we better consider Susanne's advice."

"Give me a pants and a blouse, or my armor and I am fine," the brunette grumbles and lowers her brows. "Right now, I feel like I am wearing someone else's skin."

"I know." Maura laughs and gives the taller woman a peck on her lips. She holds Jane's glance and wiggles her eyebrows.

Jane's shoulders slump and she sighs. "I think it would be better if you are talking to the person while I clasp my hands behind my back together and follow you wherever you are going, pretending that someone cut my tongue out. So I can't say something that makes our informant shutting their mouth."

Maura blinks a couple of times and frowns a little. "And who are you?"

"I am me." The brunette answers a little confused.

Maura chuckles amused and releases Jane's hand as the carriage comes to halt. She smiles at the coachman as he opens the door. "Thank you," she says as he helps her out of the carriage and looks expectantly at the other woman.

Jane is about to get out of the carriage as well and gives the poor, older man a warning look as he offers her his help as well.

He clears his throat and drops his hand back down as she more or less jumps out of the cabin.

She straightens the coat and tucks her chin in as soon as she sees Maura's scowl. "What? I have two good legs, I can get out of this thing on my own."

Maura shakes her head and starts to walk towards a waiting servant, who wears a red tailcoat with elaborate gold and silver embroidered-Lahn.

He makes a deep bow before he straightens up again. "You have to be the governor's guests."

Jane clenches her jaw so she can't say anything inappropriate because Susanne's informant seems to be Veritas' governor. _Great_ , she thinks to herself and follows the servant and the blonde. _It is not like I am in enough trouble with stupid politicians already. He probably cannot wait to hang me or to behead me_. She snorts because she's quite sure that the governor rather would like to see her ending up on the gallows. She looks up at the mansion and steps closer to the smaller woman. "I hope you do not mind driving back to Susanne's tavern alone. Either I end up in a dungeon or on the -" She doesn't get the chance to end the sentence. She grunts when she feels Maura's elbow in the pit of her stomach. She furls her eyebrows when she sees the warning gaze of the blonde and understands that the implication alone was inappropriate. She clears her throat and clasps her hands behind her back, straightening her back. "I didn't know that Veritas does have a governor by now."

The man looks briefly at the brunette while he leads the way to the pompous front door of the building. "You have not been here the last four years. Is that right?"

A light blush creeps upon Jane's cheeks and clears her throat once more. "It is indeed."

"The governor has been freely chosen by the people of Veritas two years ago." He explains and sees the skeptical look of the brunette. "Without briberies."

"Is that possible?"

"Jane," Maura hisses through gritted teeth.

Jane turns the corners of her mouth downward and shrugs. This would be the first election without briberies she ever heard of. She lowers her eyebrows as Maura glares at her.

The servant laughs heartily and opens the heavy door that leads to a large paneled room. "The governor will join you soon. Can I bring you something to drink, or to eat."

Maura smiles politely and shakes her head. "Thank you." She says and signals him that they don't need anything.

He bows once again before he leaves and closes the door behind him.

Jana looks around in the impressive room and sighs heavily as the painful realization that Maura fits in this world perfectly fine sets in. "I am not made for this kind of world."

"This is something I noticed." Maura replies sharply and turns to the brunette.

Jane looks long at the blonde and let her eyes roam over Maura's dress and smiles sadly. "My world is out there, Maura, not this one. You -"

"And you say this because?" Maura cuts Jane off with a stoic face.

"Because Jane Rizzoli is heavy-hearted," says a familiar voice as the double doors swing open.

Jane's eyes grow huge and she turns around in surprise. Her jaw hits the floor as soon as she spots a elder man with tanned skin and curly white hair. His light brown eyes are as friendly as his entire appearance. "Oh, my goodness." She gasps with a bright smile and steps closer when he opens with a wide smile his arms. "Are you real?"

"I am," the man in fine clothing laughs and steps closer. "I almost passed out when Susanne told me that you are back in Veritas, or heard that you are still alive."

Maura is beyond confused but decides to stand back and wait until she's introduced to the man who appears to be the governor of Veritas. She realizes that she never got to know the brunette's surname and now knows that Jane actually is an Italian woman.

Jane laughs out loud and engulfs him in a tight hug. She's afraid that she'll squeeze the older man to death but she doesn't care about it in this moment. She closes her eyes and allows the warmth flooding her body. She swallows hard and forces the tears in her eyes back. Once again, she let her guard down at the wrong time. She sniffles and steps back, putting her mask back on. "I'm sorry that happened." She says punctiliously and shakes her head to sort her thoughts out.

His smile falters for a second before he places his hands on her shoulders. "No need to be so formal, Jane." He pauses for the tiniest bit of a second. "It's good to see you in one piece."

"It has been far too long." Jane states and puts an hand on his arm, then she turns to the blonde and smiles a little. "Maura Isles, please meet Stefano Apuzzo, an old friend of mine."

Maura steps forward and makes a curtsy. "Pleased to meet you."

Stefano smiles at her and nods once. "Likewise." He says and points at a large wooden table. "Susanne told me that you are in trouble again."

Jane follows him and puts protectively an hand on the small of Maura's back. "Well, she also forgot to mention that you are Veritas' governor."

"The people asked for me."

"They could not have chosen someone better. You always have been fair."

Stefano sits down at the head of the table and waves an hand so the servants dish up. "Your words are flattering, Jane." He says but then he turns serious. "Susanne mentioned that your trouble has to do with a woman." His eyes fall on Maura as she looks down at her lap. He quirks an eyebrow with a small smile. "I understand."

Jane looks long at the blonde and shifts in her seat so she can look directly at him. "That's what we thought in the beginning, Stefano, but it seems like we have been wrong. My former advisor, Macario, turned out to be a spy for his brother."

Stefano runs an hand over his white beard and frowns. "Macario Bonaventura?"

Now it's Jane's turn to frown and she nods slowly. "Yes."

"From Monteriggioni?"

"Yes."

He scoffs sarcastically and closes his eyes for a moment. "That explains the stage of siege now." He mumbles and takes a deep breath. "That explains

Jane finds Maura's eyes and leans beyond confused forward. "What do you mean, Stefano?"

He gives a woman a sign to fill his glass with wine and takes a deep breath. "It is no wonder that you can't remember, you were too young when it all started." He looks briefly at Maura and takes a large sip from his wine. "Your family and mine loved and worked on the Bonaventura family's landholding, and with time they raised the taxes every sixth month. It was barely enough to feed our children, but the Bonaventura family became greedy. Over time, all of us had enough and one night a single man raised his voice in a tavern." He pauses and glances seriously at the brunette. "That man was your father, Jane. He sparked off a revolution by telling us that we worked hard every day to feed our families while the Bonaventura's sat in their house and did nothing for their affluence, that it is our food they were eating and our money they spent. So Francesco encouraged us to refuse to pay the taxes, and we did so. We didn't give Bonaventura's excisemen our money anymore and also kept our harvest, we fed you with it. Somehow it started to fee normal and we started to live our normal lives again, but then Ernesto Bonaventura set a warning example by flaying a farmer who dared to contradict one of his man. The farmer died two days later."

"Lorenzo." Jane whispers and frowns slightly as the memory starts to come back. "He was a good man."

The old man nods approvingly. "Yes. Of course we were enraged because of Lorenzo's death and ambushed a guard, and beat him to death to answer Ernesto's action. This hither and thither went on for almost one year before Ernesto Bonaventura decided to burn the villages of the makebates down, and to kill everyone and everything. Even the women and children. Your father asked me to get you and your brothers out of harms way. He swear to kill slaughter everyone who was a part of those families got away."

Jane closes her eyes and can hear the heavy footsteps that announced the arrival of the armored soldiers and swallows down the lump in her throat. "But -" she croaks and looks with tears in her eyes at Stefano. "Why didn't you safe my brothers too?"

Stefano isn't able to look at her and shakes his head. "They were not any less stubborn than you are, Jane. You refused to leave without your family and your horse friend, and your brothers didn't want to leave without your parents. Your mother forced the reigns of Amyntas into my hands and yelled at me to get you as far away as possible. I was about to put your brothers on the horse as the attack began. All of younger scared and ran in the opposite directions. You have been the only one I could grasp in time and bet away with."

Jane has the presence of Maura already forgotten and places an hand on the governor's arm. "Your family. Patricia and Sergio."

He shakes his head and takes a deep breath.

"Stefano, I am so sorry," she whispers and furrows her brows.

He scoffs and looks at the blonde. "It was not your fault, we have been the one who started it. We should have known that there will be consequences."

"But I ran away when you tried to keep me safe."

"And I kept looking for you for months, but somehow I knew that you are strong enough to get through." He says and pats her shoulder with a relieved smile. "And here you are. Sitting at my table, big and strong with a fine lady at your side. I could not be more proud of you, Jane."

Maura meets soft brown eyes and smiles broad and proudly at Jane.

Jane looks at the older man and clenches her jaw. "No matter what, I will stand at your side until the end."

Stefano takes his glass in his hand and gets up from his chair, walking to the tall fireplace. "You have to be careful, Jane. Roberto Bonaventura is looking for you everywhere since he knows that you are the daughter of Francesco Rizzoli, especially since you are about to thin his army out. But neither I nor my people will sell you and your people down the river. Roberto knows that you are either here or proximity, and he wants to see you dead."

She stands tall and nods slowly. "When you need me or my men, we will be there."

He turn to her and his expression is stern. "I know. The same for you."

Jane takes a slight bow and turns to leave.

Stefano is silent for a moment and chuckles. "Jane."

She stops and turns her head. "Yes."

"You are welcome to be my guest for the night. And the next time we meet, don't dress like this."

"I tell Susanne about this."

Stefano chuckles and looks back at the dancing flames.

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Jane is standing on a balcony and stares up at the starlit sky. She wonders how she could have been so wrong and why she always thought that barbarians killed her family just for nothing. She should have known better because she was a little girl when Stefano dragged her in the opposite direction of her village. She still can remember that she yelled at top of her lungs at him and that she tried to squirm out of his firm grasp, but from then her brain tricked her. She knew that her father was a good man, that he stood up for the poor and weak. He taught them to share food when someone else wasn't as lucky as they were. She closes her eyes and releases her breath through her mouth. Her body stiffens as soon as a pair of arms wraps around her middle. She sighs but doesn't move away. "I am no good company tonight."

Maura doesn't let go of the taller woman and nods against Jane's shoulder blades. "I know."

"I am terrible company tonight."

"I know."

"And I don't want to hurt you."

"I know."

Jane starts to shake her head and sighs. "I always thought that barbarians came to my village and burned it down. I still can see the blood smeared faces of the men a their evil smiles, but then I got dragged away. I still -" She stops and closes her eyes. Shrill screams of women and children in mortal fear start to ring in her ears and she shudders. "I could not help them. I still hear them scream, I still smell burning flesh. And I did not help them, I watched them dying. I let my people die."

"You were just a child, Jane." Maura whispers and hold the taller woman tighter.

Jane now knows why she held back when Macario asked her to accompany her and her men, why the warning voice in her head yelled at her to turn his request down. She had seen a similar face once in her life, the face of death. She now knows that it wasn't Macario but his brother Roberto, who smiled at her before he set the house of her family on fire. Rage is blazing in her eyes as she turns in Maura's arms and the need for revenge is bubbling up to the surface. "I am going to kill him." She says through gritted teeth. "I am going to kill Roberto Bonaventura and burn down his house."

A tear trickles down Maura's cheek and the blonde nods as she sees the determination in brown eyes. "I know." She whispers.

Jane takes Maura's hand in her own and puts it over her pounding heart, leaning her forehead against the smaller woman's. "I -" She smiles and shakes her head. "I love you, Maura."

Maura kisses her long and gently and keeps her eyes closed. "I love you too, Jane."


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi** , **guys. I am sorry for the delay, and yet I have to thank you for your support, your kind words. Thank you very much.**

 **And the ones who states in reviews that this is stupid and waste of time ... It's simple, stop reading this story!**

 **However, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.**

 **T73.**

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Jane hasn't found any sleep the night and sits up in the bed, hoping that she doesn't wake the sleeping blonde. She buries her face in her hands and swallows down a groan. She isn't quite sure why she can't find rest but decides to give it up now.

Weeks have passed by since she got to know who actually is after them and a voice in her head tells her that one of the citizens has told their enemies that they had found refuge in this town, that would explain the current siege. She wouldn't care if only she and her men suffer from that, but the entire town is suffering right now. Maybe that's what keeps her mind busy.

Jane's surprised that neither Susanne nor her brother are rebelling against them or that they don't sell them down the river, just like her friend the governor. She sighs heavily and runs her hands through her hair, knowing that she has to find a solution as soon as possible. For the sake of the citizens. She looks over her shoulder as soon as she feels an hand on her bare back and a deep frown crawls up on her forehead.

"You are thinking about handing yourself in," Maura whispers and her heart drops when the brunette doesn't negate her statement. "Why do you want to do that?"

Jane takes a deep breath but then she looks down at her hands. "All of this is my fault, Maura. The people of this town feel the pinch of hunger because I thought that it would be the best to hunker down here. And now they have to pay the price. And you are living a life on the run because I stole your from your fiancé."

The blonde sits up and tilts her head to the side. "You did not steal my from him, Jane. I asked you to come with you, remember?"

"I doubt that he's seeing it the same way."

"So, you already made that decision, without talking to the others?"

Jane is silent for a moment and starts to chew on the inside of her cheek. She has been hoping that she could sneak out of the house and avoid any kind of discussions. She knows that especially Bear'll try to talk her out of doing so, just like Aegeus, Tadeo and Alastair, but there's no way that she'll change her mind. "It's the best for us all." She whispers back and avoids Maura's eyes. She can't handle it if she looks into hurt eyes right now.

Maura swallows hard and closes her eyes for a brief moment. She's sure that no one will be able to talk Jane out of that, even Bear won't have any chance. She forces her tears back and tries to find the courage to speak again. "At least, grant me one last night with you."

The brunette looks surprised at the other woman before she nods and then she kisses Maura passionately.

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The brunette went straight down to the stalls so she could avoid running into one of her friends and to avoid any kind of explanation. But it seems like Amyntas' feeling that something's about to come because he capriole every now and then.

Jane caresses his neck and whispers soothingly to him until he calms down again. It breaks her heart to leave him alone, but she's still sure that this is the right thing to do. "It will be alright, my friend," she says and isn't sure to whom she's saying that. "You will be fine, I promise. But I have to do this to keep you and the others safe."

He snorts and shakes his head like he's disagreeing.

"Yes, you know that I'm right." She chuckles and descends from his back. "And now stop arguing with me. I won't change my mind." She clenches her jaw and takes the halter off, caressing his muzzle. She smiles sadly and nods to herself. "You have been a great friend Amyntas, the best I ever had. I do not know where I would be without you." She sniffles and furrows her eyebrows. "We will see each other in next life."

The horse perks his ears and looks straight over Jane's head like he's seeing something that she has missed.

The hairs on her neck stand up and she turns her head as she hears a rustling sound. Her eyes become huge as soon as Baako and Caden comes closer from behind a tree. "What the devil are you doing here?" She hisses.

The two men exchange glances and then Caden shrugs. "We missed you at breakfast." He answers and smiles as she quirks an eyebrow.

Jane feels bad for just leaving behind and that she put the burden on Maura's shoulders to tell the group that she voluntarily went to the enemy's camp only to sacrifice herself.

She stumbles forward and looks over the shoulder because even Amyntas gave her a push with his muzzle like he's trying to say _Don't do this. You are a part of this group. I need you, we need you._

Shefrowns and looks long at Baako, who glances expectantly at her.

"What are you doing outside alone," he asks and runs his hand over Amyntas' nose.

"I -" she starts but then she hesitates, looking at the camp which start to wake up slowly. She can see the amored man and how they think that they are beyond safe right now, they're almost conceited. She has seen such peoole in her younger age. People who walked around and thought that they are the only one who has the right to life. People who treated he r family, her friends and herself like they're nothing more than livestock. Already in the past this kind of people made her angry. Not because she was jealous of them, because this kind of people think that everything they have is given. She never needed their money, she had the love of her parents, the love of her brothers, the love of her friends, but then all of it was gone once and for all. Because people like those in this camp thought that they are judges and hangmen in the same time, just because her people were farmers who yielded poorly.

But now she isn't that girl anymore. She now knows who is responsible for the death of her family, her people, and deep down inside she wants revenge for that. Over the years, she got it somehow, she's sure that she killed more than enough of them to satisfy the need, but she also knows that it'll never be enough. There are other places which are terrorized by that kind of people who killed her people, and that it won't stop anytime soon. She also knows that neither she, nor Bear, nor, Caden, nor Baako, nor Tadeo, nor Alistair, nor Maura are the one who end this terror. But they can try to be a example for those who'll follow, a kind of inspiration.

She turns her body to her horse, brushes the forelock away and traces the small pallor with her fingers. Something happens in her heart when Amyntas lowers his head and steps closer. She runs her hand over his nose and clenches her jaw. "I just needed some time for myself. I needed to think."

Caden crosses his arms and starts to chuckle low, Baako rolls his eyes.

Jane rolls her eyes as well and punches Caden's arm before she turns to leave. "I am not Bear."

Baako is the first who starts to laugh and follows her without a second thought.

Caden is the one who only smiles but also follows her. Somehow he has the feeling that Jane doesn't tell them the whole truth, but he decides that he isn't the one who confronts Jane with that. But he'll talk to Bear about the situation because he knows that the Scandinavian man is the only one who can knock a little sense into the brunette's head, besides Maura.

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Alistair groans as he walks up and down in Susanne's dinning hall and places his hands on his hips. "We should disappear, never to be seen again."

Tadeo scoffs loud and leans over the table. "And leave Susanne and Stephen alone in this misery? Let me remind you that we're the cause of the siege."

"We can take Susanne, Stephen and Apuzzo with us. They'd be a good addition to our group."

"And what about the rest of the people? Shall we let them just die?"

"We won't leave anyway." Susanne suddenly states and looks at each of them.

"Susanne!" Her brother groans.

"No! This is our town, our place, our home. I don't leave with a fight."

"Yes, it is, but you are have no use for our people when you're dead."

Jane listens attentively but is unusually quiet. She looks at Maura as soon as the blonde squeezes her hand under the table and frowns deeply. Then she closes her eyes and wishes herself away. It makes her heart heavy that she caused a discussion like this and remembers why they normally don't stay longer at one place than one week.

Baako and Caden also keep their mouth shut. They learned fast that they should leave tactics to people like Jane, Tadeo or Alistair.

Alister throws his hands up and laughs humorlessly. "Your people are strong, they will get through this."

"Without leading, they are doomed!"

"They are already, Susanne!"

'That's what you are saying!"

"It is a fact."

Jane closes her eyes and listens to the voice in her head which tells her that they got themselves into that situation, now they have to get themselves out of it again. "We stay," she more or less whispers and raises her eyes.

Tadeo raises to his feet and points at the other man. "You cant know that, Alistair."

Alistair stops death and raises his eyebrows high. "I know that pretty well, Tadeo. My village has been in the same position and then it was burned down even though it didn't host fugitives. If we're staying we're doomed too."

" **I said we stay**!" Jane almost shouts and the two men become silent, just like the others.

She gets up to her feet and her face is beyond serious. "We are the reason why this place is in this situation and we will not leave them alone just because we have our backs to the wall. Maybe those people could live in peace if we would not come here, maybe they would be terrorized anyway! We do not know that, but I know that we never left people in distress. And just because this is a precarious position, we're not bail on people who helped us. Tadeo is right, we caused all of this, and now we have take the consequences of our actions." She pauses and looks long at Alistair. "If you want to leave, leave, Alistair. I won't be the one who is holding you back. Go wherever you want to go."

"Jane -"

"You don't owe me anything, Alistair. We are square. No one's holding you back. But I am staying until my last breath, because I owe them a lot. They fed me and they kept me safe. Who would I be if I just disappear?"

He looks long at her and frowns deeply, looking helplessly at the other men.

Caden seems to consider her words and nods slowly. "I will stay too."

"And me too." Caden says without hesitance.

A smile tugs in Baako's lips as he looks at the brunette and he nods. "I stay as well."Alistair looks long at them and scoffs. " And where the devil is Bear when I need him to talk sense into you?"

The room becomes quite again and everyone looks around, except for Maura.

"Alistair is right," Caden states with a frown. "Bear is the last one who misses breakfast."

Maura clears her throat decently. "Bear noticed Caden and Baakko preparing for leaving. I asked him where he want to go and he told me that he want to see where you did go. And he asked me not to tell you. I am not sure why."

"Stupid fool." Baako curses and jumps up to his feet. "He is as fleet-footed as a clumsy oaf."

Jane blinks a couple of times and panic starts to grip her heart. So many times she told Bears that she'd be better off without him, but she knew that she wouldn't have get so far without him. She furrows her brows and glances at the others. "All right, get dressed."

Neither of the men waste a minute and disappear in all directions.

Maura gets off the bench and looks worriedly at her lover. "Have I done something wrong?"

The brunette shakes her head. "No, Bear just played on your lack of experience. You have not done anything wrong." She takes a deep breath and frowns. "Now, get dressed."

The blonde blinks confused. "Excuse me?"

Baako suddenly stands beside her and smiles wryly. "That means that you shall take on your armor."

Maura turns pale. "I ... I think I am no good company. I have never taken someone else's life."

"And I make sure that it stays that way." He replies with a smile. "Jane needs you right now to safe Bear. He probably got caught by angry huntsmen. A armor with an emblem does help with that kind of people."

Maura frowns again and hesitate. "That kind of people? So you're willed to sacrifice their lives instead of ours?"

"On the contrary, huntsmen are most likely the better allies than governors and they don't hesitate to ... Trust Jane.' He pauses and smiles at the blonde. " Trust me. I keep you safe."

Maura has a very bad feeling when she realizes his words, and sadness overcomes her. 'Baako -"

He takes Susanne at her wrist and looks long at her. "Help Maura to get dressed."

The redhead looks long at him and nods slowly. She places an hand on Maura's arm and starts to lead the way to the blonde's room. She takes a deep breath and tries to smile. "Jane knows what she's doing."

Maura looks directly at her. "Are you sure?"

Susanne snickers. "Mostly, yes."

Maura looks skeptically at her.

The other woman rolls her eyes. "We're still safe and sound, aren't we?"

"Yes, you are." Maura sighs and opens the door to her room. "Yes, you are."


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey, guys. I am sorry for the delay. I hope you're still with me and this story.**

 **This chapter was really hard to write for me, and I am still not sure of it ... But finally, FINALLY I got a new chapter out!**

 **I hope you like it. Anyway, please tell me what you think.**

 **Have fun,**

 **T73.**

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It's visible that Jane's beyond worried the next day while she's sitting in the dining hall. She's staring right ahead of her and it seems like she hasn't blinked for the last ten minutes. She's well aware of the fact that the guys sent Bear to check on her and that it isn't unusual that he gets stuck at a trugging house after he made sure that everything's fine, but a nagging voice in the back of her head tells her that it's different this time, that something is everything but fine, and that she should be the one who's out there and looking for the tall man. But she's also used to that Bear shows up two days later, pretending like nothing ever has happened, so she decides not to listen to the voice until this morning, three days after she had decided to surrender to her enemies.

"Are you sure that she's still breathing," Baako asks Caden and looks worriedly at the other man. Both of them had been standing at the door to the room and watched Jane without making any noise.

"I'm not even sure that she has blinked." Caden replies and crosses his arms over his chest. "Maybe we should go and check on her. Even though ... Bear never stayed that long away after we got out of trouble. I am -" he trails off as the front door flies open and frowns as he looks into the shocked face of Susanne, who's out of breath. It appears like she has been running back the whole way to her inn.

The brunette turns her full attention to the redhead and gets up to her feet immediately. She senses that something is indeed wrong. "What happened," she asks unceremoniously.

Susanne needs a moment so she can breathe again and steps closer to her old friend. "There's a town meeting, this noon. I heard a rumor that the guard caught one of the 'rebell'. They will use him as a warning at the city Hall. People talk about a tall, bald-headed barbarian coming from Scandinavia."

An flurrying silence is settling over the two women before Jane seems to be able to finally react. The color has drained from her face and her eyes became as soon as Susanne's information hit her ear. She's clenching her fists and is about to turn on her heels. A low growl rumbles from her chest when Maura's blocking her way all of a sudden. Neither Jane nor the men can tell where the blonde was coming from so quickly.

"Where do you think you are going," the smaller woman wants to know and doesn't flinch when Jane tries to stare her down.

"Better get out of my way." Jane hisses through clenched teeth and steps closer, but in the same time she's impressed that Maura dares to stand up to her. She raises her eyebrows as Maura doesn't move.

"No!" Maura replies unflinchingly and crosses her arms over her chest, pursing her lips, and the two men step astounded into the dining hall.

Neither of them ever have witnessed that someone dared to offer opposition to Jane.

"Maura," Jane says warningly and her face becomes dark. She's waiting for the smaller woman to step out of her way and pushes past Maura as she still doesn't move an inch, growling loudly. It's exactly what Maura didn't want to happen and is about to follow the brunette as someone's grabbing her arm. She turns her head to the left and looks puzzled into the eyes of Tadeo.

He's holding her gaze to figure out what she's up to and frowns slightly when he starts to realize that Maura's just as stubborn as Jane, and that it would be of no use if he tells Maura not to follow Jane, the blonde would do it anyway. He's clenching his jaw and bids at the other men. "I'll get Apollo ready." He points at his friends. "You go and grab your equipment."

Baako and Caden nod and are about to leave, but then Caden points over his shoulder. "I go and inform Aegeus."

Tadeo nods slowly before he let go of Maura's arm, heaving a sigh. He's glancing at Susanne, who understands his silent order and follows Maura.

"What is your plan," she asks the blonde while hurrying after her.

"Heading Jane off before she is doing something really stupid." Maura replies and grabs her cloak before she heads out of the main building.

Susanne groans and rolls her eyes, and does the same like Maura. "That sounds like an incredibly stupid idea."

Maura doesn't respond to that and hurries to the horse stable. She knows that Jane already has a small margin and that she and the others could be too late already. She pushes the door to the stable open and looks thankfully at Baako, who's handing her Apollo's reins.

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Jane is as mad as a hornet when she storms into the assembly hall of the town hall and the first thing she's spotting is Stefano, who's sitting at a large wooden table and is about to take a juicy morsel from the chicken leg quarter he's holding in his hands.

He almost chokes on it and looks puzzled at the young woman. "Jane?"

She take three large steps and pulls his chair back harshly so she almost knock it over.

Stefano is taken aback but holds an hand up as his life guards are about to come closer.

Jane is beyond mad and has no qualms about holding a dagger right under his nose.

His eyebrows shoot up and he let his hand drop to the table. It's obvious that he isn't quite sure what to think or what to do. "Jane, what is going on?"

"You Macario's bother use Bear as a warning even though you offered us to take refuge at Veritas, and promised us safety." She growled with a hard face.

The color drains from his own face and he has to swallow hard. "I had no choice, Jane." He says and his eyes to the dagger. "You gave me no choice at the end."

Jane girls her brows and confusion is mirrored in her eyes. "At the - You were my friend, Stefano. You were a part of my family. I saved your sorry life more than once and that's how you thank me?"

"And I settled old scores more than once," he states and pushes the dagger a little down. "I saved your life as well, more than once. And this of your family -"

"Don't you dare to speak of my family." Jane says and steps even closer. "You forfeit that privilege."

Stefano swallows hard and tries to smile, in vain. "Jane, put that dagger down. That's not how you should treat an old friend of yours."

Her facial muscles are twitching and she doesn't lower the said old dagger. "You are no friend of mine anymore, Stefano. I hardly doubt that you ever have been." He can see that she must have had a revelation on her way to the city hall and it terrifies him. "I remembered a argument of father and you that you had before the guards fell upon our village. You told him that it would be best to pay the contribution instead of rebelling. Two days later, our people got slaughtered and our home burned down."

"My family got killed, too."

"A small price for a person like you, who always dreamt of a life like this." Jane replies low and pushes the tip of the dagger's blade against his voicebox. "Was it worth it? Sacrificing your own family and your friends for a life like this."

Stefano presses himself into the chair and holds her piercing gaze. "I warned your father, and everyone who was following him, that stirring up to rebellion was the wrong way, but no one was listening to me. And so they had to pay the price."

"They didn't listen because they had been thinking about their future, and the future of their children. And all you have been thinking of was your very own welfare." She hisses through clenched teeth and a year runs down her cheek as she leans closer. Not because she's sad, but because she is furious. And because of the betrayal of her oldest friends.

Stefano can see a flicker in her eyes and knows that his life is as good as over. "Even if you manage to kill me here and now, Jane, you will not make it out of here alive."

"I couldn't care less." She whispers to him and is about to finish him off, but then the large door flies open once again and Maura almost flies into the hall. "Jane! Don't!"

Jane keeps her eyes glued to Stefano and huffs. "Back off, Maura!" She lowers her brows as soon as she sees a smug smile on his lips. Apparently, she just revealed her weak spot to him and she wants to turn back time for just a few seconds.

Jane doesn't move a bit and it's obvious that Maura's presence hasn't changed anything. "You better get out of her, Maura. There is no use of you losing your life in here as well."

Maura's heart tighten when she hears Jane saying that and she takes a step closer, freezing when two armedbguards are blocking her way. But all of a sudAlastair and Tadeo force them back with drawn longswords. It dawns to her that this is a no-win situation for everyone involved and she hopes that she's able to defuse the situation. "Jane, Stefano is your friend. He gave us shelter in our greatest time of need. There is no need to treat him that way. He is not responsible for Bear's situation."

Tadeo shakes his head when he realizes that his opponent is looking for a smart plan of attack. "Don't," he warns his opponent.

Jane's clenching her jaw and furrows her brows without looking at the blonde. "You are wrong, Maura. He is very responsible for Bear's situation, and he is very responsible for the death of my family. He is a traitor, the worst of a kind. He sacrificed his own family, his own people, just to have all of this. May I will not make it out of her alive, but he will not spend another day on this earth either. I will take him with me."

Baako looks surprised at Caden and then he's about to drag Maura out of the room, but she brushes his hand off of her.

"Jane, we find another way to make him pay for this, but -"

Jane growls low and presses the tip of the dagger into his throat and blood drips down on his silk jacket. "I will let him bleed to death slowly, just like my little brother's did because of him."

"That will not change anything." Stefano gasps and fear is written all over his face. "If you let me live, I can get Bear out of the dungeon."

"And why should I believe you, traitor?"

"You have no reason, but I am your only chance. I am Bear's only chance. Otherwise, he will be hanged by the neck until he is dead. You have to trust me, Jane."

It is obvious that Jane is struggling with herself right now and that it is hard for her to give him the trust he's asking for after his betrayal, but then she lowers the dagger and steps back a little. "We're leaving as soon as Bear's back, and you would be well advised to let us leave the town without causing any problems because you and your friends will come out on the short end, Stefano."

He gasps and rubs his neck with a deep frown. "I grant you safe conduct."

"Your word means nothing to me anymore." Jane shoots back and turns on her heels and the other follow her. But then Aegeus turns back to Stefano.

"Why did you do this to us," he wants to know and the others stop without turning around. "Why did you give Bear away after all what he did for you?"

Stefano rubs his neck and gets up to his feet. "I have to take care of a entity town, Aegeus. Everything has been fine before you came here, and before Emmanuel's forces decided to lay siege to Veritas and to famish my people. Did you really think that your actions wouldn't have any consequences? You can't be that naive."

Jane slows her steps and closes her eyes as his words hit her ears, balling her hands into fists. Her eyes shoot open as soon as she feels an hand on her shoulder and peace comes over her when she looks into calming hazel eyes. She takes a deep breath and turns her head a little. "Aegeus!"

The man looks in disbelief at their once ally before he turns to leave without another word.

Caden walks close to Jane but doesn't look at her, whispering. "I asked Susanne to pack our things and get them to a safe place. She and her brother will wait for us and then they'll leave the city in the night."

Jane nods a little and heaves a sigh. "Good! They better leave the city before they get even more trouble. We will attend the assemblage at the town hall. I want to make sure that Bear's okay."

"And if this is just another trap?"

"We'll mask ourselves with our hooded cloaks. No one will know that we're even there."

Caden nods slowly and a smile plays around his lips.

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The square in front of the city hall is full of people and the voices are loud so they can drown the others.

Jane spots Baako's black hooded cloak to her right and then she sees Caden's brown to her left. All of them have cloaks which are made of cotton in the same colors. Jane's is dark gray though. Only Maura's cloak is special. It's dark blue and made of a light fabric Jane can't name. The brunette wanted to get rid of the piece of clothing but Maura argued that she at least wants to have one piece of fine clothes. That's why Jane agreed to keep it.

Maura turns her head to the taller woman and smiles slightly, brushing Jane's hand with her own. It's a try to calm the brunette and it seems like it's working. Until Jane's worst nightmare steps onto the platform that stands in front of the town hall with gallows.

Suddenly, two men drag Bear onto the platform. Obviously, he's close to dying of thirst, and he has been thrashed. The tall man is kneeling and his face is more black. He had a large cut at his left eye and his bottom lip splitted several times. He doesn't look like himself anymore, but his eyes still hold the same strong will not to give in until his dying breath. Even the burning wounds on his chest didn't seem to break this will.

Jane takes his sight in and knows that this will be the last time she's seeing her friend alive. She grasps Maura's hand and squeezes it harder than she meant to. She closes her eyes and fights the urge to cry out loud.

Maura doesn't flinch, and she isn't ashamed of her loud sones that escape from her throat when Bear is led onto the platform. She knows that she isn't the only one who's shedding tears because of him. And she knows that he won't come with them at the end of the day. When she had been forced to go with them, she couldn't believe imagine that one of these people could become closer to her heart than her own family. That these people could become her real family.

Emmanuel steps to the edge and points at the kneeling Bear. "This man is responsible for your hunger!" He says louder and the crowd becomes quite. "This man is responsible for your thirst. He is the reason why we are fighting against rebels. He pretended to be your friend, your helping hand, and in reality he preyed upon the poor. Just like those who calls his allies. He drinks your water and eats your stocks. He takes your wives -"

"You're talking drivel," a man in the crowd suddenly shouts and Emmanuel blinks confused as soon as others agree resounding.

Jane's heart leaps in her chest and she looks around to make sure that none of her men shouted that just to raise a crowd against Emmanuel. But she can see that each of her friends are as surprised as she is.

Emmanuel needs a moment and a small frown is on his forehead. "People like him causes fear, hunger and ... Your mayor saw the danger and called me for help. Within three days we located the head of the threat. And her he is. The Scandinavian barbarian who calls himself Bear! His execution shall be a warning for everyone who is following him!"

The crowd is silent until a hooded man steps onto the platform and starts to put a hangman's noose around Bear's neck, but then they start to shout and to boo, and some of the people are throwing rotten vegatables at the executor with his black mask over his face.

Emmanuel looks confused at the executor as he hesitates and shouts, "Hang him!"

Just then Jane realizes that Bear's standing on a trapdoor and starts to push her way through the crowd, hopping to reach him before the executor throws the lever. She is almost at the platform when she and Bear finally lock eyes and she stops dead when she sees his smile. It tells her that it's alright, and that he won't leave her even when he's gone. And that she shall stay where she is right now. And that they will meet in their next life.

Jane does how she's silently told and stands still while hell breaks loose around her. It's like nothing around Bear and her is existing right now. She furrows her eyebrows and places her hand over her heart to signal him that she'll always carry him with her, and that she will always cherish him.

Bear seems to understand the message and smiles proudly at her, the way he did Everytime when she learned something new from him. And the way he did when she listened to all of his sagas.

He inhales the fresh air one last time and straightens up.

Jane gasps when the executor throws the lever and her friend drops to death. She watches how Bear struggles for a couple of minutes and then she turns around when he's hanging there lifelessly.


	14. Chapter 14

"We should get our things and leave as long as we have the chance to," Alastair says and looks at the other man, and Maura.

"Is that your way to thank Jane for everything she ever did for you?" Tadeo hisses and leans forward to look directly at the other man. "Grabbing your things and hanging her out to dry?"

"It's better than to go unsung." Alastair replies and frowns deeply. "She even didn't do anything when Bear has been executed right in front of her eyes."

"She didn't do anything because Bear wanted it so." Maura's stating a little louder and the attention of all men turn to her. "It's not because Jane selfishness. She did not interfere because she wanted to keep all of you save, and it was because Bear silently told her to not to do anything stupid. If it would have been about her, none of us would sit here right now."

"That is true." Caden suddenly says and he wiggles his brows. "I have seen it myself. When Bear would have let her, she would have gone in there and slaughter everyone until she would have been stretched down. And all of us know that. Jane would have given her life for Bear."

"Just like for you, Alastair," Baako suddenly adds and draws his attention at the other man, glaring.

Alastair's scoffing and gets up to his feet. "I am only saying that it would be for all of us the best to mind our own business." He's holding his hands up when Baako takes a step toward him. "Do not tell me that this thought never crossed your mind. I am grateful for everything Jane did for me, but I know when it's time to part ways."

"That makes you an coward." Caden interrupts with an straight face. "Just because the situation becomes uncomfortable for you, you are rather leaving than to stand by our side?"

Alastair's voice is starting to raise and he points at himself. "I simply know what's best for me!"

Susanne scoffs and quirks an eyebrow. "You are running away, you are betraying yourself and your friends, Alastair. This is all you're doing."

He's clenching his jaw and takes a step toward her. "You better keep your mouth -" He growls but stops as soon as Jane enters the room, then he backs away again.

Jane's face is unreadable and it seems like she had listened to every single word of the conversation. Her steps are heavy and her head's hanging slightly like she's trying to avoid everyone's eyes, but when she steps right in front of Alastair her eyes are full of anger. Her voice is calm when she's speaking, "All of you came a long way and ever since we met, you've been beyond loyal, expecting of some so called friends who tried to sell me down the river, but they paid the price." She's pausing and finally raises her eyes to meet Alastair's. "And ever since we've met, I gave you the choice to leave when you think you have better opportunities. I never have forced you to follow me wherever I go. You say you're grateful for everything I did for you?" She smiles sadly and nods. "So am I Alastair. I am grateful for all the years of our friendship, for all the years of your loyalty. You saved my life more than once, and I do not have the time nor the money to pay that back. All I can offer you is to leave." Her face turned dark and she steps even closer. "But think wisely because I won't hesitate to chase you down if you are betraying me, us. And you know me well enough that I'll stay true to my words. And if you decide to stay, do not dare to order our only allies to be quiet. **Ever** **again**." Finally, she turns to the others and furrows her eyebrows. "This is within your discretion to stay or to leave. But I know what I'm doing. This started with me, and it will end with me."

"Jane -" Maura's starting.

The brunette's silencing her by pointing at Maura, and frowns. "Nothing you are going to say will change my mind. It started with me years ago, but I have not notice that. Baako will bring you to a safe place before -"

Maura's shaking her head and says vehemently. "No."

"Maura -"

"No, I am not leaving." The blonde states and the all of the men raise their eyebrows. "You and the others showed me that there is a real life in which I can decide what is best for me. In which **I** rule over my life and not someone else. In which I can decide ... in which I can decide who I love, and not someone else. And if this life means going down with you, so it will be. I rather die at your side tomorrow than to die alone in an golden cage. But then I know that my life was not in vain because then I die at the sides of the person I care about the most. I never thought that I would experience this feeling, but you showed me what real freedom means. So, no, I will not leave you."

Jane has to swallow hard. "Maura -"

Suddenly, Tadeo steps forward and looks long at the brunette, being full of resolution. "Neither will I. You are stuck with me, Jane."

"And with me." Caden says and crosses his arms over his chest.

Baako scoffs and hunch his shoulders. "I have nowhere to go, too."

Aegeus can feel all eyes on him and frowns. "I have to think about my choices," he says and then he starts to smirk. "I would never leave your side, Jane."

The brunette can't help the small smile and is relieved that she has all the trust her friends can offer.

Alastair is silent for a moment and then he groans with a roll of his eyes. "For the love of God, what are our our next steps?"

Caden bursts out laughing and pads Alastair's shoulder hard and relieved.

Jane smiles broadly and is about to reply something when Susanne's brother bursts into the inn, looking long at the brunette. "Jane, there is something you should see!" He pants with wide eyes.

Jane frowns deeply and looks confused at the man. "Now?"

"Immediately!"

She's heaving a sigh and follows the young man, just like Maura, Tadeo, Aegeus, Baako, Caden, Susanne and Alastair. She stops dead as soon as she spots the crowd of people right in front of the inn.

An older man with gray hair steps forward and asks loudly, "Are you Jane?"

Caden steps protectively in front of the brunette. "Who wants to know that?"

"A close friend of Bear!"

Caden's clenching his jaw and places his hand in the handle of his blade.

Jane nods and is pushing Caden to the side, stepping down the wooden stairs. "Yes, I am Jane."

The older man hesitates and nods. "My name is Magnus and I seek revenge for Bear!"

Alastair is the first who's drawing his blade and who uses his own body as Jane's shield. "Then you have to get past me firstly!"

Jane's placing an hand on his arm. "If you seek revenge then take it, Magnus. I guarantee that my men will not interfere."

A woman with light brown hair pushes her way through the crowd and says louder, "We're not here to she'd your blood. We want to see this Emmanuel person dead."

A brown-haired boy comes to Jane and frowns. "Bear was my best friend and he told me about all of your adventures. He also said that you would help us."

A lump is forming in Jane's throat as she starts to understand and ruffles the boys hair. "Did he?"

"He told me that you are the bravest warrior he ever met."

Jane can't help the laugh that escapes from her throat, and the tear that rolls down her cheek. "I am not as brave as Bear was, my friend."

The older man steps up to her as well and points to the crowd. "We owe Bear our live, he shared his food and his bag with the most of us. But he also told us that you are standing up for people like us. That we can rely on you in our time of need."

A man in his twenties comes to Jane. His eyes are honest. "How can we help you, Jane?"

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"This is an ridiculous idea," Caden says out loud and throws his hands up, pacing up and down in the dining hall.

The brunette sits calmly on the wooden bench and frowns deeply. She knows that her plan is risky, but she thinks that it's better than any shot. "I know that we'll have a lot of work to do but -"

"These are just farmers, children and women who never ever held an weapon in their hands. It will take us months, no, years to get them ready to fight back!"

"Then so it be!"

"Jane -"

"I mean it, Caden!" She snaps and is looking at each of them. "This regime of terror is over **now**! Each of these people have the right to live in freedom now! They have been exploited long enough by people who pretended that they want the best for them and now it's our turn to stand up for them, **with** them and to fight for their freedom with them, and perhaps die at the side of them. That's what Bear would have wanted us to do!" She's pausing and looks directly into Caden's eyes. "A lifetime ago I have been one of them." She's pausing and neither of the guys dare to speak. "My father was a plain farmer and secretly the leader of a rebellion in our village that was quelled by people like Emmanuel. My father got betrayed by Stephano just to to save his hide. He's the reason why my family died just like hundreds of others and now I'm gonna stop it. If you want to leave, no one's gonna stop you. All of you are free to go."

Alastair steps closer and his face is death serious. "I have been there when well-trained soldiers marched into the homes of villagers, and witnessed how they slaughtered its defenseless dwellers. It was like they led them to the slaughter."

"But you did not do anything against it back then." Baako snaps with a dark face.

"Back then I did not know better, Baako." The other man replies and frowns. "Now I will not this kind of people down although I know that it won't change anything. At least I can make my last exit with a good thing."

"I've been wandering on this planet way too long." Aegeus suddenly says and Jane can't help the laugh. "I rather die in a fight on your side than of old age."

Everyone is looking at Tadeo and he's clicking his tongue with a shrug. "Let's perish in style."

The others are laughing and Jane gets up to her feet. "Alright then. Let's get to work, this is going to be a long way."


	15. Chapter 15

**Oh, my, I got inspiration for this story again! Thank goodness!**

 **I am so sorry for my long absence of this story, but I didn't know how to continue. I am really sorry!**

 **Thanks for all your kind words and the following. I hope some of you guys are still sticking with this story.**

 **I know it's just a short chapter but I hope you like it anyway. And as always, you are welcome to share your thoughts.**

 **I hope you'll enjoy this update.**

 **Have fun,**

 **T73**

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Almost a whole month has gone by since Jane made the decision to face her nemisis one last time. She's the one who's insisting on waiting for a little longer while the others want to strike the next day, and the day after that, until Jane put her foot down, since that day each of them acted patiently. Even the normally so composed Maura demanded to strike, and that's why Jane became a little distant again. She's the one who's responsible for the well-being of the villagers, she doesn't care what'll happen to her, she is beyond certain that she won't see the day after the major attack. She came to terms with it, but she didn't mention it in front of her friends or even Maura. She's sure that the blonde would try to convince her to call it all off only to keep her alive, and that's something the brunette can't do know, after all the hope and courage she and her minions gave to the villagers, that's why she's keeping her mouth shut, more than normal. Even Baako noticed that.

He's the one who's most glad that she isn't the biggest fan of paying addresses and rather acts, but her current silence is even worrying him.

Today, he's wordlessly walking beside her through the streets and is watching who their allies are practicing a real combat and is well aware that neither of them has the slightest chance to make it out of it alive, or maybe just the 'happy' few. He's also aware of the fact that their lives are going to be even more bad after their quelled rebellion.

It doesn't bother him that he's coming face to face with his very own death because he knows that he's going to die beside the only family he had since the day he has been brought here and maybe, just maybe, there will be someone who's going to tell the story of Jane and her fellows who did their best to help the people of this place. He's keeping that hope up.

Jane's looking at him from the corner of her eyes, saying, "You are very quiet today."

"I am not a very talkative person." He replies, a smile is playing around his lips.

Jane keeps a straight face but her voice is hinting amusement. "Neither am I."

He chuckles and frowns as soon as he's watching two boys in the age of fifteen who are practicing with two wooden sticks a hand-to-hand combat, he's impressed that they're doing well for some kind of novitiates. "Are you sharing your thoughts with Maura?"

"Not very talkative person, Baako."

"At least the same bed?"

She stands abruptly and peers hard at him.

He laughs for real this time. "Sharing a bed doesn't implicate talking."

Jane is looking with a gaping mouth at him and a deep frown crawles upon her forehead.

Baako laughs hard again. "Jane, we all know that you and Maura are not only holding hands or kissing. And yes, we already saw you doing so but kept our mouth shut because we do not care about it. And either of us have some needs which want to be satisfied. We are all only human."

"Yes," she says with a sigh and stops walking. "Yes, we are only human. And I am very grateful for having you as my friend, confidant and family. I am grateful for having all of you in my life."

He looks long at her. "Did you tell Maura that you don't plan to come back to her?"

Jane breaks the eye contact and walks towards a girl, who maybe is right, and with light brown hair who's trying to lift a axe, to no avail. She walks to the girl and crouch down in front of her. Jane's face is soft and the girl's eyes grow huge. "Hello. What are you doing there?"

The girl blinks and stops her attempt to lift the axe. "I help."

"Oh, okay." Jane replies sweetly. "You are helping your father chopping wood? Don't you have brothers?"

The girl's nodding. "I have three."

"Why don't they help your father?"

The girl points in a direction and Jane's following her finger. "They are there." She frowns. "But I want to help you because you help us. And my father is helping you."

The brunette looks in the direction of the forest and has to swallow hard. She knows the place by heart. Marcello's troops. She looks briefly at Baako before she hesitantly takes a slender knife from its sheath and hands it to the girl. It's a bodkin, a knife with a very sharp point and two sharp edges, typically designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon. It's old, worn but still razor-sharp It's old, worn, but razor-sharp, and Jane's very first blade she'd ever led. She takes a deep breath and looks with a deep frown at the girl. "Take this, this is appropriate for your height, not this axe. This blade has served me well in many, many years. My father got this blade from his father, and his father got it from his father. I think ... it should stay in the family."

"Don't you need it anymore?"

"No, I do not need it any longer." Jane pauses and meets Baako's eyes. "And you only use it as a last resort, hear me?"

The girl's testing unimpressed the blade and frowns. "Its blade is blunt."

Baako scoffs.

Jane smiles and straightens up again, holding her hand out, the girl takes it. "Then let us take it to the blacksmith." They start to walk together, hand in hand. "What's your name, girl?"

The girl looks up at her. "Eilís."

Jane nods shortly. "My name is Jane."

"I know." Is Eilís' response and the older woman frowns.

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Maura closes the wooden door of her room and jumps as she turns around and spots a figure standing in the shadow of the open fire, placing a hand over her heart the moment she recognize the person. "You scares me."

"I didn't intend to scare you."

Maura sighs heavily and looks nervous in the direction of the door. "And I didn't know that you up here. I - uh - I'll come back later."

"Do you regret that we met?" Jane steps out of the shadow. Concern is written over her face.

Maura blinks a couple of times. "Excuse me?"

Jane simply shrugs. "Do you regret that we ever crossed ways?"

Maura frowns and licks her lips. "At the beginning, I thought you were like any other mercenary, focusing solely on money. But the more I have got to know you, the more I have learned that you are much more complex, that you're a passionate person who's trying to keep everyone safe you care about, even though you don't know them. And before I got to know you, my life was monotonous and predictable -"

"Maura!"

"No! No, I don't regret that we have crossed ways, Jane. And I do not regret -"

Suddenly, Jane is standing in front of her but she's keeping her hands to herself, her face is beyond serious. "I need you to stay here the day we're marching."

"Please do not ask that of me." Maura whispers and closes her eyes, placing her hand over Jane's heart. She opens her eyes again because she feels it beating hard under her touch. "You can't ask that of me."

Jane's nodding slowly and is clenching her teeth before she says, "There is something else I'm asking of you." Maura closes her eyes and Jane waits until the smaller woman looks at her again. "There is a girl, her name is Eilís, her brothers are with Marcello and her father is going to fight with us. I doubt that they - Eilís needs someone to look after her afterwards."

"Jane -"

"Her mother died during her birth and Eilís does not have anyone else. Her grandparents passed away before she was born."

"Jane, please do not ask that of me."

The brunette takes Maura's hands in her own and furrows her brows. "I know that it is much I am asking you to do, and perhaps you think that it is unfair, and it is. It really is. But I am sure that you can handle it, handle Eilís, and that you can give her what she needs and that you will be wonderful even though you can not see it right now. And I am sure that she will adore you, even if it will take some time until the two of you get along with each other." She sighs and squeezes Maura's hands. "Would you do that for me, Maura?"

A tear is running down Maura's cheek but nod her assent. "Yes." She whispers. "Yes, I will try."

"Thank you."

"Will you do something for me?"

"Anything."

"Please stop being mad at me."

Jane frowns and before she knows it she holds Maura tight against her body. She understands that the blonde needs the contact right now because she's clutching to her, and she also needs the contact to convince herself that she's doing the right thing even if it costs her very own life. She closes her eyes and holds her breath, then she pulls her head back and cares Maura's cheek with her thumb. "I was never mad at you, Maura. A little bit stressed out but never mad."

Maura smiles a little. "That is understandable."

Jane smiles a little. "Really?"

Maura's nodding again and smiles as well. "Yes."

Jane is still smiling but she lowers her head, hesitating a moment before she closes the gap of their lips. She hears Maura sighing contentedly and starts to push her towards the bed. _One last time_ , she thinks to herself and knows immediately that this is a lie. She knows that she's trying to make the best of the time with Maura before she'll face Marcello. She breaks the kiss and looks long at the smaller woman, swallowing hard. "I ... I love you."

The blonde is silent but smiles broadly before she's kissing Jane again, this time passionately. She's well aware that Jane is trying to say farewell now, but that's something she won't let happen, not until she has to for real. "No more talking." She replies in a whisper.

Jane swallows hard again and nods vehemently. "Yes, Madam."

Maura laughs and rolls her eyes.

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Jane comes into the horse stable in the middle of the night and furrows her brows when Maura's horse Apollo balk after she closes the door behind her. She walks into his bay and cares his muzzle gently. "It's okay, Apollo, it's just me. I did not mean to startle you." She's watching him relax again and smiles. "You are definitely a good ... horse. You always take good care of Maura. And it's your job to keep on doing so even if I'm not around anymore."

Apollo snorts and bobs his head like he understood her.

Jane pat his neck. "Good boy," she says before she heads to Amyntas' bay. He looks straight at her and lowered his head like he's expecting some last words for him. She runs her hand over his muzzle right up to his forehead. She smiles as soon as he lowers his head. "You always have been my best friend, I hope you know that. And I am very grateful that I got the chance to keep you in my life even though father wanted to sell you. And I am beyond thankful for each time you saved my life." She pauses and shrugs the moment he look at her reproachfully. "Which happened more times than I can count. You're not just a horse to me, Amyntas, you are like a brother." She pauses again and heaves a heavy sigh. "Are you riding with me for one last time?"

Amyntas seems to understand her and lifts his head, nickering approvingly.

Jane runs her hand over his back and then over his flank. She says with a sad smile. "I thank you, brother."


	16. Chapter 16

**Just one note: Be warned, major character's death ahead!**

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Jane is laying in the bed and runs her left hand over the bare back of Maura who's laying on top of her. The brunette stares up at the ceiling and frowns a little. This is something she successfully avoided over the last few years because she always knew that someday she'd reach the parting of the ways and she tried to reach that point alone, so she wouldn't leave a beloved person behind. She kept that intention, until she met Maura Isles. The moment she laid eyes on the blonde, Jane knew that Maura would cause problems. What she didn't expect was that she'd be the one who'd fall into Maura's trap. She takes a deep breath and looks down as soon as she feels a pair of lips against her collarbone. She glances into sleepy hazel eyes and tries to smile and failed. She's sure that she's making more a grimace because Maura puts her chin on said collarbone. "Don't look at me like that." She whispers.

Maura doesn't respond and keeps on staring at the brunette like she's trying to memorize each detail of Jane's face.

Jane kisses her lips and sighs. "It won't be the last time that you are seeing me. Stop looking at me like I'm a dead man walking."

Maura's kissing her once more and keeps her eyes closed a little longer. "I am sorry." She whispers against the taller woman's lips and a tear runs down her cheek.

Jane wipes the tear off Maura's cheek and shakes her head. "You don't have to be sorry for the things you are feeling, Maura. Never apologize for your feelings." She pauses and kisses Maura once again. "It won't be the last time that you are seeing me, Maura. And it won't be the last time you are spending the night with me."

"Is that a promise?"

"Yes."

Maura rolls over and sits up, pulling the sheet over her chest and leaning against the headboard with a frown. "I never thought that this would happen, not with a woman."

Jane leans up on her elbow and looks long at the blonde. "What do you mean?"

Maura's licking her lips and shakes her head without looking at Jane. "I never expected to have a chaos of emotions because of you, because of a woman."

Jane furrows her brows. "I will not apologize because of that."

"I don't want you to, Jane." Maura replies and finally looks at her. "I don't want you to apologize for turning my world upside down. I mean, the day you and the guys showed up at my house, I thought you would be my kidnapper who had been hired by my father so he could marry me off against my will. I thought you would be brainless barbarians."

Jane blinks a couple of times and furrows her brows. "Thank you."

Maura rolls her eyes and traces Jane's jawline with her fingertips. "That was my first impression, Jane. I did not know that you and your friends are more complex, that all of you have a haunting past. For me you were just a bunch of people who wanted to earn money the fast way. The more I got to know you, the more I felt like I'm connected to you. Especially to you, Jane." She pauses and glances up at the ceiling. "The more I got attracted to you. And the harder I tried to fight the feeling, the stronger the feeling became. I always thought that one day I would find a man for whom I would feel the way I feel for you. I did not expect that this man would be hidden in a woman. I did not expect that you would be … who you are."

"Complicated," Jane asked with a smile.

Maura laughed once but nodded. "Yes. And so smart and dedicative."

Jane's kissing the blonde's shoulder and whispers against her skin. "That's why I'm doing this, Maura. Because I need to know that you and these people are safe. I know that I am the reason why all of you got in trouble, and if I don't end this now, neither of you will be ever safe. You will not just because you helped me, you supported me. And if something happens to one of you, I won't be able to forgive myself ever again. And I can promise you that I won't go down easily. And I have to do this for my own sake, and for my family. My real family."

Maura looks long at the Italian and swallows hard. But then she pulls Jane onto her and kisses her cheek, then her jaw and then her lips, ignoring the tear that runs down her cheek again. "I know." She whispers with a heavy heart. "I know that you have to and I will not be the one who is keeping you from doing it. It's just -" She trails off and runs her hands over Jane's bare back. "It's just that I fell in love with you. I am madly in love with you and I know that, if something happens to you, I won't survive it. I won't be the same then."

Jane studies the blonde's face and kisses her gently before she says, "I can't and I won't promise you that I will come back to you uninjured. But I know that I will be in good hands and that you are going to nurse me back to health. And I know that you and I are going to tell Eilís about our great adventures. And that we are going to grow old even though people are going to stare at us and won't understand how two women can be lovers. But I can promise you that I will come back to you." She takes a deep breath and kisses Maura innocently. "And I fell in love with you, too. The first time I saw you I knew that you would be trouble. My personal trouble. I fell in love with you that's why I could not bring you to your soon-to-be husband you did not know at all. Call me -" She's interrupted by Maura's kiss and her eyebrows shoot up. She pulls out of the blonde's hand and sighs heavily. "Call me selfish but I do not regret my decision to take you with us."

Maura's eyes flutter shut the moment she feels Jane's lips on her collarbone and runs her hands through her hair, licking her lips. "You are not selfish, Jane." She hums delightfully.

Jane kisses Maura down her chest and down her belly, murmuring, "God, I love you, Maura. I never loved someone the way I love you."

Maura wiggles a little but suddenly she starts to giggle.

Jane stops dead and looks with furrowed brows into hazel eyes. "What's so funny."

Maura meets Jane's eyes and bites her bottom lip. "It's just -" She starts smirking. "You corrupted me, Jane."

Jane starts to smirk too and continues to go down on the blonde. "Let me corrupt you even more."

The blonde chuckles but then she gasps loudly, running her hands through Jane's hair and moaning loud.

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Tadeo is looking long at Jane and frowns. "We don't have to do this."

Jane swallows hard but keeps a straight face. "Yes, you don't have to do this. You can get you belongings and ride southwards. I would never blame you for this."

"And let you ride against an entire army all by yourself," he asks and steps a little closer. "You know that I will fight with you and that I will die for you, for the greater good."

"Me too." Aegeus says the moment he enters the horse stable.

Jane turns her head to him but keeps on caressing Amyntas' neck. "There will always be one who is going to subjugate people. There is no greater good, this is just about revenge. Marcello is responsible for the death of my family and I am responsible for the death of his brother. And I humiliated him in front of all the people by being with his fiancée. This is my war, not yours."

"We all lost someone or something because Marcello and his family." Baako says when he joins them in the stable. "This isn't just your war, Jane. This is the war of the people, the cry for freedom. Perhaps we won't change anything but we can try to break the first ground. We can change the outcome of the day even though we won't see it happen."

Tadeo steps next to the Arabian and crosses his arms over his chest. "I disagreed with you and your decisions many times but you saved our ass and I learned that your instincts are mostly correct. You might thing that all of this is about vendetta, but it's about so much more. And you can be sure that I will stand at your side to the bitter end."

"The people of this village count on you, Jane." Caden states and takes a deep breath. "They count on us. They want to be liberated, and I want to be one of the reason why they finally are. You are not doing this on your own."

Jane is speechless and glances at Alastair who comes into the stable, too.

The man holds her gaze and shrugs. "I only want to cleave Marcello's head open. For Bear."

Jane's clenching her jaw at that name and nods slowly. She still remembers Bear shaking his head at her before his lifeless body hung down at the gallows. She misses the bald man and his patters. She's missing how he calmed her down and gave her good advices. She's sure, if he'd still be with them he'd tell her to get over it, grab their belongings and ride somewhere else, somewhere Marcello wouldn't find them right away. He also would tell her that this isn't the time for revenge, that this is a suicide mission and that she should think about Maura and everyone else who's caring for her. That she should think about the people who are going to fall in battle. But Bear isn't there with her any longer. Bear is one of them why she wants to get to Marcello. She is well aware that she probably won't get that far before Marcello's men take her down but knowing that just she tried is spurring her. She also knows that Marcello's vengeance is going to be vicious, but she doesn't care about that much right now. She doesn't have the time to think about otherwise she'd change her mind and sound the retreat which would make everything even worse. She knows that Marcello would hunt her until one of them would be death. She kisses Amyntas' muzzle and nods to herself before she says to the men, "For Bear, for freedom."

The men only nod in response.

Jane turns to Apollo and smiles at him. "You take good care of Maura and Eilís."

The horse snorts and nods his head like he's making a promise.

Jane kisses his muzzle as well. "Good boy."

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Eilís is sitting at the wooden table in the dining hall and watches carefully Susanna. "Where are Jane and Maura?"

Susanna carries a plate to the table and places it in front of the little girl. "Maura is helping Jane to get into her armor."

"Jane is a knight, right?"

The older woman sits down across from the girl and smiles. "Yes. Yes, Jane is a kind of knight. Just like the others. They are fighting for you and me so we can be free, Eilís. They are fighting for people like us because they are one of us. They are farmers, blacksmiths, tailors', menials and maids. They are us, girl." She pauses and places a hand on the girl's arm. "When you are older I will tell you what Jane and her friends did for all of us, what they sacrifice for our liberation."

Eilís studies the woman's face for a while and puts her fork to the side. "Jane will not come back, will she?"

Susanna holds the girl's gaze and swallows hard, smiling sadly. She isn't sure how to tell Eilís how right she probably is.

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Maura is fastening the last strap of Jane's spaulders and takes a deep breath without saying a word. Since Jane asked for her help to get in her armor Maura hasn't spoken much and the brunette got the feeling that Maura wants to be everywhere else but with her right now.

Jane furrows her brows and whispers. "Please look at me."

Maura stops in her tracks and oblige. Her lips are pressed together tightly and her expression is strained.

The brunette swallows hard and wants to take Maura's hand into hers, hating the fact that hers is covered in metal and leather already. "I -" She trails off and licks her lips. "I love you, Maura. Ever since the day Marcello burned his own fiancée in front of a village because of me, I never thought I could love someone that much again, but then you sauntered in my life and I understood that I love you so much more. I killed for you, and I will kill for you if that means that you and that little girl are safe."

"She means a lot to you, doesn't she," Maura asks after she cleared her throat.

"I already told you that she is me." Jane replies immediately and furrows her brows. "And she deserves a better life than I had. I know that this campaign won't change much and that we barely have a chance to catch on but I have to try. I have to try to give you a life in freedom even though I will spend the rest of my life in a dungeon."

"You promised me to come back."

"I promised you to stay alive."

"That's caviling."

Jane smirks and closes her eyes when Maura runs her hands down her neck. "I call it keeping my promise."

Maura kisses her gently. "Come back to me."

Jane looks into the smaller woman's eyes and inhales shakily, knowing that she can't keep that promise. "I love you, Maura." She replies instead. "I love you so much, I don't know that I could love someone the way I love you." She places Maura's hand over her heart and shakes her head. "Thank you for completing me, Maura. Thank you for being a part of my life. The last months … I never felt more alive since my life with my family before they got slaughtered. You made me feel home, you made me love again. For real. Give the same love to Eilís, she's our little girl now. You have to take good care of her."

"She doesn't like me." Maura whispers.

Jane kisses Maura's lips and leans her forehead against the smaller woman's. "That is what you think. Secretly she admires you."

"Liar." Maura whispers with a smile.

Jane holds her gaze and smirks, dimples popping.

"Jane," Baako says and his head appears in the door. "it's time. We should go."

Jane nods and meets Maura's eyes once again, looking long into them like she's trying to mesmerize them once and for all. She let her head hang low and passes the blonde without a kiss or a goodbye.

Maura takes a deep breath and swirls around. "Jane."

Jane stops dead and turns her head, still not saying anything.

Maura licks her lips and swallows down a sob. "I will never again love anyone else the way I love you. You are the love of my life."

The brunette smiles and turns to leave without a reply. She knows that more words aren't necessary. She knows that both of them purred their hearts and that there won't be words that are weighting more than declaring their love for each other.

Baako walks beside her and frowns. "You okay?"

She nods and takes a deep breath. "Never been more okay, Bakko. And never been surer about this before."

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Marcello is sitting on a chair that is more like a hand-carved throne than a simple chair when Jane enters his headquarter, a pompous tent. He smirks and shifts in his seat. "Looks like you have come to your senses." He says in broken English.

Jane smirks and looks at his alarmed guards, trying to place her hands on the handle of her sword which has been removed before she entered the tent. "I came back to my senses a long time ago, Marcello. I am not here to surrender."

His smile falls and his body language changes, alarming his guards. "So why are you here? You die before you get close enough to me."

Jane smiles again and shakes her head. "I'm not here to kill you." She replies and her face darkens. "Not now." That statement makes the guards stepping closer. She doesn't move. "I am here to give you and your men to retreat before it's too late. Neither of our people have to die today, Marcello."

Marcello laughs throatily and some of his men join him. "What will you do, Jane? How many men are you? Three hundred? Four hundred? Five hundred? I will put your rebellion down with my army of fifteen thousand. You don't stand a chance."

Jane smirks and takes a few steps forward, ignoring the fact that his guards got alerted again and that he's raising his hand to keep them back. "We might not win this fight and we might not win this war, but we tried to change things. And never underestimate the will of a few hundred free people, that could break your neck in the end."

Marcello leans forward and his jaw is clenched. "Are you threatening me."

Jane's still smirking and replies before she turns to leave, "No, I'm making a promise. You better watch your back, Marcello. Perhaps I am the first who stands up to you, but I sure as hell will not be the last. A rebellion always starts with a small spark before it becomes a firestorm.

Marcello jumps up to his feet, screaming furiously because she doesn't turn back to him. "I will kill you and the rest of your so-called family, Jane!"

Jane smirks but still doesn't turn back to him. "Line up, Marcello."

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Jane is holding her nemesis at his collar and is panting hard, she sweaty and covered in her own blood and in the blood of the men she had killed before she reached Marcello who was sitting on his horse, watching the battle from the distance. Somehow, she managed to kill his guards and slashed the side of his horse the second Marcello tried to ride off and safe his sorry ass. She managed to get passed his guards but not without severe injuries. "It's over, Marcello." She hisses through clenched teeth. "You won't get anywhere."

He doesn't try to defend himself but starts to laugh. "Your little rebellion won't change a thing, you won't be a sung hero. People will forget who you are."

Jane holds the blade of the curved dagger Baako once gave to her to Marcello's throat and her face is dark. "This is not about being a hero, and this is not about songs who are about me. This is about freedom, this is about revenge for everything you did to your people, this is about revenge for everything you did to me."

He smiles devilish at her. "You think it's over when you kill me? My people know about you. They know about the people you are with, they know about the whore you are fucking and the bastard you call your daughter. My people will hunt them down, and they will torture them until they die. They will cut them into pieces and I will make you watching it like I made you watching my fiancée burn because you tainted her. I will kill each of them you stirred up." He spits his next words. "Bit by bit, and you are going to watch it."

Jane's face becomes even more dark and she drags the curved dagger painfully slow into his chest, right into his heart. "Not before I put you to hell." She growls low, but in the next moment she flinches and blinks a couple of times when she feels a stabbing pain in her side. She looks down and frowns at the strange dagger that is sticking out from right under her left armpit.

Marcello laughs and groans in the same time. "I might go to hell, but I'm taking you with me."

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Caden and Baako are standing at the entrance of Marcello's tent, looking out for the next men who could get to Jane and Marcello, keeping them away. Either of the are covered in sweat and blood and are the last men standing of Jane's fellowship, listening to the battle sounds in the distance.

Baako hears a rustling behind him and turns immediately, seeing Jane stumbling towards him. He let his guard down and hurries over to brace her. "Jane?"

Caden turns to him and is at his side immediately.

Jane sinks down to the ground and clenches her teeth. "I'm okay." She groans. "It's just a scratch, B"

Caden pulls her hand off her side and a deep frown graces his forehead.

She laughs and coughs, gasping. "It's a while ago you looked so worried, C."

Caden looks dead serious at Baako but then smiles at her. "It's been a while you called me that, Miss Rizzoli."

Jane laughs. "It's been a while you found me in a state like this. You can patch me up, right?"

Caden glances at the other man and frowns. "You know that Baako is our mage. I am only the one who's trying to calm people down." He smiles. "Sometimes."

Jane hums like she's suddenly at peace.

Caden nods to her and let Baako take over as soon as he is at his side.

Jane opens her eyes once again. "I have a wife and a kid I have at home, B. Patch me up... please."

Baako unfasten the strap of her spaulders and frowns deeply as soon as he understands the extent of Marcello's stabbing. Knowing that there has to be a damage to one of her lungs. He smiles at her and nods. "I will patch you up, you will see Maura and Eilís again."

She starts to laugh. "You are a terrible liar, Baako."

He looks up at the heaven and his Adam's apple is wobbling. "I know."

Jane smiles at him and takes his hand in her own. "You are going to watch over Maura and Eilís, right."

Baako nods and squeezes her hand. "I will."

Caden feels her eyes on him and he looks down at her. "I won't their side, Jane. That's the least I can do, my friend."

Jane nods and smiles, closing her eyes.

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The second a point man announced that their men were coming back to their quarter Eilís, Susanna and Maura headed out of the Inn watching men reuniting with wife and kids, and watching women sob because their husbands and sons had fallen in the campaign.

Maura's heart becomes heavy because of the people who are suffering because of what they have broken lose, but more because Jane isn't in the front row with a relieved smile.

Eilís spots Caden and Amyntas and she runs to them, throwing her arms around the horse's neck, exclaiming loudly, "Amyntas." And the horse eschews.

Maura looks into Caden's maltreated face and a sob escapes from her throat as soon as he looks away, already knowing what is to come. She takes a step closer but stops dead the moment Baako emerges from the crowd, carrying Jane's body with clenched jaw. He meets Maura's eyes and stops dead, just like the people around him.

It seems like everyone is expecting her to cry out loud and lunge forward. Instead she's standing on the spot, frozen and feeling her heart into breaking into a million pieces. She doesn't see that Eilís is letting go of the horse that once belonged to her friend. Finally, a loud sob erupts from Maura's lungs and she hurries to Baako. She looks at Jane who seems to be asleep if you ignore the blood all over her. "Oh." She cries out loud and forces herself not to pass out. "Oh, Jane."

Baako doesn't move an inch. "I tried my best but she -"

Maura stops him with a single look and in the same time she tries to tell him that she knows that he did everything he could. Kissing Jane's forehead. "Oh, Jane." She whispers.

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She's standing with Amyntas and caresses his neck before she looks at her mother. "I am going to finish what my mother has started."

"I know." Another woman says and steps closer to her. "I know you will and I will not hold you back." Maura puts a hand on Eilís' shoulder and takes a deep breath. "Go and continue your mother's legacy, Eilís. Finish what your mother begun. She would be proud of you. I am proud of you. Amyntas will take you where you are needed to be. And if you need any help, contact Baako or Caden, they will guide you."

Eilís who is a grown woman already wraps her arms around Maura and whispers, "I will make you proud of me, Mother."

Maura smiles and kisses her daughter's cheek. "I am already, Eilís. I couldn't be prouder of you."

Eilís' mount on Amyntas and smiles at the older woman before she spurs the horse and rides off into her very own adventures.

Maura takes a deep breath and wraps her arms around herself, hoping that this won't be the last time she has seen her daughter. A tear is running down her cheek and she feels like the last time she had bit the love of her life farewell. "Come back home to me. Come back home this time because loosing you I will not survive." She turns and looks at the memorial stone she had been placed right in front of her door. A memorial for Jane right in front of her house. "She has to come home because I wouldn't survive that once again. Please watch over her. Bring her back home to me."

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 **This is the final chapter, for now. Therre will be an epilogue and Jane won't be dead for long but I had this kind of end of the story in my mind for a long time, hate me or not.**

 **Anyway, I'm already working on the very last chapter of this story.**

 **You are always welcome to tell me what you think.**

 **Enjoy,**

 **T73**


	17. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Jane is sitting with her newly married wife Dr. Maura Isles in the private library of the residence in Dundalk, Ireland of which she never knew about. She was kinda surprised when Maura suggested that they could spent their honeymoon there and asked the doctor why she never mentioned said estate. The blonde just shrugged and with that the topic was checked off.

Jane took more than two weeks to think about the suggestion but in the end, she agreed. She expected that the estate would be a kind of vacation cottage and was quite surprised when she stood in front of a stately home, and the next second her insecurities got the best of her again because the cottage visualized again how different she and Maura were, or so she thought. Deep down she knew that Maura never thought that she'd be any better than Jane or her colleagues at the BPD. On the contrary, Maura always empathized more with them than the wealthy environment she grew up in.

Jane blinks a couple of time and closes carefully the old leather-bound book, frowning a little. "So, you're not the only Maura in your family. Why didn't you tell me that?"

Maura rolls her eyes and pokes the Italian. "You're not the only Jane in your family, either."

The brunette turns to her and takes a deep breath. "Did you know about this story? Why didn't you tell me about this, too? I mean, this book is saying that you and I were supposed to be together, but you didn't think that this would be an important detail in our lives?"

Maura's eyebrows shot up and she shakes her head. "I didn't know about it until Pierce mentioned this book two days ago. I couldn't sleep and decided to search for this and see what he meant. As soon as I finally found it I told you about it."

Pierce Lynch is an old friend of the Isles family and had dinner with them two days ago and shared some stories with them and told them about a book that contains a part of the Isles family history only a few people know about.

"Did you know how this story ended?"

The blonde shakes her head and is pressing her lips together.

Jane nods slowly and takes a deep breath, frowning and staring at the book. "Just because their story didn't end well it doesn't has to mean that our story has to end the same way, Maura. We write our own story and hardly believe that someone is documenting it like someone did it with theirs." She's pausing and takes Maura's hand in her own, kissing it gently with a smile on her lips. "If my ancestor Jane wouldn't have asked your ancestor Maura to take care of Eilís, your family probably wouldn't be. You wouldn't be."

Maura smiles back at her wife with a little frown. "Jane, you know very well that I am adopted. I would be anyway."

Jane shrugs and pulls the doctor a little closer. "Then your family got that big heart from Eilís." She rolls her eyes when Maura glances skeptically at her. "You know what I'm implying."

Maura's smile grows bigger and she nods. "Yes, I know what you are implying Jane." She pauses and tilts her head a little. "I have to say your ancestor and you have some things in common."

"You mean daily putting life at stake," Jane asks back and is flinching as soon as Maura's hitting her shoulder. "It's true. That's my job, I get paid for it. My ancestor didn't get much for that."

Maura takes a deep breath and places her hand on Jane's thigh. "I meant that you are kind-hearted just like her. And you don't allow many people to get too close to you, but if you do, you do for them everything possible. Even if it means that you have to put your life at stake. Or shooting yourself only to safe your brother."

Jane looks long at her and then she shrugs. "It's not like I wouldn't do the same for you, Maura. I'd go even further for you."

Maura sighs heavily and presses her lips together before she says, "I know, and that's what scares me, Jane. You say that our story doesn't have to end like theirs but in the same time you are saying that you'd do everything for your family and me, no matter what the cost. I don't want to end like my very own ancestor."

Jane clenches her jaw and takes a deep breath. "Heartbroken."

"Yes," Maura agrees in a whisper and blinks back the tears that threaten to fall.

The Italian tugs at the doctor's hand so Maura sits down in her lap. Jane wraps her arms around the smaller woman and puts her chin on Maura's shoulder. "I can promise you that you won't get rid of me so easily, Maura. And we're living in a completely different age, I won't get smitten with a sword. Or die because of a festering wound. And I promise you that I'll come home safe and sound every night. Until my dying breath. I'm planning to spend my remaining years with you because I love you. And I will always love you, Maura."

Maura smiles again and looks down at Jane's lips. "I hope you keep your promise." She replies before she's kissing her wife lovingly.

"You should know me better," mumbles Jane against the doctor's lips and starts to chuckle.

Maura pulls away a little and frowns with a glint in her eyes. "That's why I'm saying it."

Jane takes a deep breath and looks at the book. "I am really dying to know who Eilís, Baako and Caden were. I know that Eilís is yours and that previous Jane is mine. But who are Caden and Baako?"

Maura smiles and runs her hands through her wife's hair. "I knew you would die to know that, that's why I did a little research of the names. It turned out that this Caden person is an ancestor of Vince."

Jane's eyebrow's shoot up. "Seriously." She smiles when her wife nods. "What about this Baako guy? I hope we have an ancestor too."

Maura runs her hands through Jane's hair and raises her brows. "You remember your friend Akif?"

Jane nods but then frowns. "No way. He saved my ass a couple of times."

Maura smiles and straightens her back the moment she feels Jane's hands underneath the fabric of her shirt. "In this life and this life and your pervious, too."

"What counts most is that I am here with you right now."

"That's just because neither of your brothers got this far, I stopped them."

Jane smirks and quirks an eyebrow. "That's because neither got the far as I did." She smiles as Maura laughs and put her hands on Maura's hips. "Seriously, I couldn't be more blessed and I thank God for having me in my life every day. I don't take you for granted, Maura. You're the best that could have happen to me."

"So are you, Jane." Maura replies and kisses her wife. "I just want you to give me one promise."

"Of course."

"Never leave me!"

"I would never. I once gave you this promise and here I am, with you."

"Do you think we are continuing the lives of our ancestors?"

Jane shrugs and smiles. "You a Maura who's sitting in my lap, I'm a blue-collar Jane who's working for the BPD, who's standing up for the people just like you do. How many times have people told us that we are not meant to be with each other, that we are from different worlds?"

The doctor takes a deep breath. "Many, many times."

"And here we are, together, married." Jane replies softly. "And I'm not planning on going anywhere." She places her hand on Maura's swollen belly. "And I think your mommies just figured out the perfect name for you, Elizabeth."

Maura smiles broadly and frowns. "Did we?"

Jane nods with a smile. "I still can call her Liz, Lizzy Liz bear." She laughs when her wife rolls her eyes. "But what matters most is that we all come together."

Maura frowns deeply. "You think we all make it better"

"That's what I keep telling myself. I know that we won't change the world and won't change the city in just one day. Or in a year, or a century. But we started it. We started a change."

Maura smiles broadly and kisses her wife. "That's why I love you."

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 **So, that's it, guys. This is the end of Until My Dying breath. I hope you liked this little story and enjoyed the journey.**

 **Of course, you are welcome to share your thoughts with me, I'm always thankful for your opinion.**

 **Thanks for reading Until My Dying Breath.**

 **With love,**

 **T73.**


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